1 comments about Queluz: The Palace and Gardens.

1. Inês Ferro, the former director of the Queluz palace, writes in an interesting way about this former royal palace in Queluz - a sort of "all you want to know about the Queluz palace". Very good. It is worth reading it!

No comments about Where Land and Water Intertwine: An Architectural History of Talbot County, Maryland.

5 comments about The Country Houses of David Adler.

1. Though I must say, that I agree that this book could have used some color plates, it in my opinion does not distract from the fact that this is a wonderful book on a fine architect. I personally love the archieval black and white plates, they are so vivid and the Adler homes are quite old, so it somehow seem to fit. This book covers in detail Adler's best country homes, his work was just amazing and the attention to detail in his homes ranks with Horace Trumbaur and McKim, Mead, and White as the best of this age. Chicago is most blessed with his homes, but the Crane Estate, in the Boston suburbs is, in my opinion, his most interesting home and this book does a fine job of covering it. If you have any interest in great American residental architecture, or Mr. Adler's work itself, then I can't imagine you being disappointed in this book.



2. oh i wanted to LOVE this book-- it is FINE--but not amazing-- a bit too "textbook"--



3. I really love David Adler. I was thrilled to find out that this book was in the making. But when I finally got my hands on it I was furious to find that there were no color plates in the entire book. All photographs are archival. The Richard Crane mansion in Ipswich is a tremendous house, and I appreciate the old view from the beach, but how does that compare to the view now that all of the landscape has come to maturation. Not including color plates and more contemporary shots was a cruel tease to play.



4. growing up in Lake Forest, IL...I, too saw these beautiful country estates -- but never knew the common theme was David Adler. Such a wealth of information and history that I have to thank Mr. Salny for. We are talking an era of architecture that included not only the design of a building, but also the design of the gardens, the interiors, etc. A fabulous book -- beautiful and inspiring in so many ways!



5. Useful and informative, but Norton was a bit slap-dash in its production. The "newly-drawn plans" were disappointing and nowhere near the standard in architectural publishing; whoever was responsible shouldn't have been.

1 comments about The Architecture of Rasem Badran: Narratives on People and Place.

1. The Architecture of Rasem Badran:
   Narratives on People and Place
   By James Steele
   Large format, 256 pages, with over 360 illustrations, 348 in color
   ISBN: 0-500-34206-7, hardcover, £ 36.00, $ 60.00
   
   Review by Besim S. Hakim
   
   This book by James Steele on the work of architect Rasem Badran of Jordan is a wonderful contribution to architectural literature and a valuable documentation of the work of one of the most talented Arab architects of the current period. I know both the author and the architect, and it is indeed a pleasure to see the hard work of James Steele, over many years, brought to fruition.
   What are most refreshing in this book are not only the photos and discussion of Badran's built projects but the unique style of his sketches that were used to establish the design concepts and their subsequent development. The sketches are reproduced in their original color and some can be classified as works of art in their own right.
   The book starts with an introduction, followed by seven chapters, a chronology of Badran's work, notes, bibliography, a glossary of terms, and an index. The chapter titles sequentially are: 1. A narrative on people, place and culture, 2. Creative heritage and the return to the east, 3. Houses and housing, 4. The fourth dimension is the spirit, 5. Preserving a living history, 6. An earthly paradise, 7. Rediscovering the Islamic city.
   Chapter two is a testament to how important it is to understand one's background, such as Badran's, in shaping his views and outlook on how he uses his skills in forging forward with an architecture that is an important contribution to his region and the world at large.
   It is only by a careful reading of this book and examining its illustrations, that one can truly appreciate Badran's distinctive design process and the sensitivity of his architecture. Issues regarding the theoretical implications of Badran's architecture is beyond the scope of this review and might be gleaned from Steele's analysis and interpretations.

2 comments about Villa d'Este Style.

1. If you want a glimpse of the famed Villa & its beauty take a look inside this book. The pages are beautiful & you can feel the ambiance as if you were living it in the moment!



2. If you want a glimpse of the famed Villa & its beauty take a look inside this book. The pages are beautiful & you can feel the ambiance as if you were living it in the moment!

No comments about Housing for the Millions: John Habraken and the SAR 1960-2000.

No comments about Munich and Memory: Architecture, Monuments, and the Legacy of the Third Reich (Weimar and Now, 22).

1 comments about The Architecture of Baltimore: An Illustrated History.

1. If you're intersted in the development of East Coast architecture, this is an invaluable tool, particularly if you're familiar with the City of the Chesapeake Bay.

1 comments about Clues to American Architecture (Clues To...).

1. The book is slightly bigger than a pamphlet. The question is what is the purpose of this book. It is too general for an architect and probably even so for a laymen. The authors need to give this book some girth, kill some more trees. And by the way there are Dutch Colonial houses in the Bronx and Manhattan...review that section authors!!!

1 comments about Aldo van Eyck, Works.

1. Es un genio del siglo XX. Y espero un precedente de la revolución del XXI. Lamentablemente holandés solo traducido al inglés.