5 comments about The Alhambra (Wonders of the World).

1. Page one, paragraph one has two glaring errors. First, there are indeed figurative paintings in the Alhambra. They are painted on leather decorating the ceilings of the recesses in the Hall of Kings. Second, Columbus did not present his plan to cross the Atlantic to Ferdinand and Isabella at the Alhambra but at Santa Fe, their encampment several miles outside of Granada.
   I didn't bother to read further. This book promised to be worthless.



2. The book gives a good overview of the history of Alhambra palace and Islamic Spain. Some minor translation problems as the author try to root some of the names of the various rooms in the palace to its Arabic origin. Nonetheless, the book is well written, and is an excellent source for beginners on the Alhambra palace.



3. The good: debunks some of the myths, gives a good background to some of the names and how the appearance was radically altered by perceptions of what people thought (and what they wanted to think) represented Moorish architecture.
   
   The bad: He spends so much time explaining why this or that is not true that we almost learn about the Alhambra by what it is not. He never really gets has a together, narrative history here, which makes it difficult to get a 'grasp' on the place by just reading this book alone.
   
   Also He unfairly criticizes Irving's Tales of The Alhambra (apparently Washington Irving was at once dull, but too imaginative, prejudiced against Moors but sympathetic to Bobadil, cheering for the Spanish yet anti-Catholic - and yes Irwin contradicts himself on the same page!) while (strangely) praising movies like the 7th Voyage of Sindbad (which was filmed there). Shows a lack of understanding or depth about Orientalist Art, which doesn't stop him from talking about it.
   
   The guide he suggested to buy, available at the site and in Granada, is far better- (unfortunately not available in the US) its published by Ediciones Edilux, called "in focus' in English and available online if you google it.



4. Visiting the Alhambra is a once in a lifetime, must do event. See it first from the plaza adjacent to the little church of St. Nicholas across the valley. And when you do finally go in to the Alhambra, bring this guide.
   
   It's the sort of guide one might have had when visiting this place two hundred years ago--more Baedeker than Lonely Planet. It emphasizes the wonder of the place rather than entrance prices and opening times. Written in a narrative style that plays up the history of this magnificent palace, it is a joy to read both before and during one's visit. In fact, a careful reading of the book prior to visiting the Alhambra is bound to enhance the visit tremendously (as, after all, the Alhambra is so popular you'll be limited to a 15 to 30-minute window to make your entrance into the most stunning part of the complex, the Nasrid palace.) For that reason you'll want to know ahead of time what you'll be looking at, because once you're inside the rooms and courtyards go by in a blur--a gorgeous procession of delicate columns and sparkling fountains. If you're trying to read your guidebook for the first time in the midst of it all, you'll miss most of it. Once you are inside, you're much better off just using the book for a quick consultation as you enter each new room, gallery, or alcove.
   
   Irwin's 'Alhambra' tells you what you really need to know about this place (one of Europe's most magnificent palaces) including the unfortunate fact that much of what you will see (or are seeing) has been recreated; the presumed use of each area of the palace is at best an educated guess (and at worst, a shot in the dark). Even some of the carved inscriptions are misleading (assuming you can read medieval Arabic). As Irwin notes: "...Contreras, who knew no Arabic, rearranged them [the inscriptions] in such a way that it is no longer possible to make sense of them" (p. 47, hardbound). Regardless, there is beauty in this truth, and this book has it in spades. Your standard tourist guidebook will not confront you with such sincerity (although you'll need it for the basics mentioned above: entrance prices, opening times, etc., as Irwin is not concerned with those).
   
   The hardbound version of Irwin's 'The Alhambra' makes a great keepsake to remind you of your visit, and you can put it on your shelf next to the copy of Washington Irvings' 'Tales of the Alhambra' you picked up in the gift shop. Bottom line--if you are going to visit the Alhambra, do it right: bring this book, and read it ahead of time.



5. This little book is packed with the author's detailed opinions about the history of this marvel. It's good reading to prepare one for a visit, but it left me wondering if the legends that the author debunks may not be a prophecy of what tomorrow's scholars may think of this work.

2 comments about Tuscany Interiors.

1. This book did not provide any practical interior design ideas. If, however, you are into Tuscan, it would make a fabulous coffee table book.



2. Unlike most interior design idea books, this book actually has a fair number of interiors that are relevant to normal size homes and rooms. I would say that about half this book is useful for homes that aren't mansions. This is unusual, because most design books only have a few plates that are relevant to anything less than a Hearst manion. Definately a buy.

   - jim and katya preston

3 comments about Architecture of the Cape Cod Summer: The Work of Polhemus Savery DaSilva: New Classicists.

1. I was given this book as a gift and I have since spent many hours thumbing through the pages. The photographs, detailed architectural drawings and renderings give the reader an in depth understanding of each project. The architecture is both beautiful and inspiring. Any designer, architecture enthusiast or student will find this book a worthwhile addition to their collection.



2. Good architecture can enhance or destroy a natural vista and this monograph of the work of Polhemus Savery DaSilva demonstrates how the development of a piece of property does not mean destruction. The architecture is first rate and like all Images books the quality of the publication is exceptional.



3. This is a great book! Below is an edited version of my article that appeared in The Cape Cod Chronicle, July 24, 2008:
   
   "Inventive reinterpretations of historical elements" are major features of the houses of Polhemus Savery DaSilva Architects Builders (PSDAB), according to architect John R. DaSilva.
   
   In this magnificent book 25 major works by the firm are collected into one handsome volume. The houses are pictured inside and out in over 400 color photographs, with site and floor plans included.
   
   In his essay in the book, DaSilva outlines the firm's belief in architecture that recalls the past, "rather than literally re-creating it."
   
   "I always wanted to be an architect" DaSilva said during a recent interview. He followed his dream to Princeton and Yale. He married architect Sharon McGinnis DaSilva (now a senior designer at PSD) whom he met when both were working at Venturi, Rauch and Scott Brown.
   
   The decades following the Civil War were the period of America's "first real `summer,'" DaSilva writes. In the introduction, Michael Crosbie, who writes extensively about architecture for such publications as "Architectural Record," compares our time to the earlier period. "It harkens back to the age of grand houses by the sea..."
   
   Take Pepperwood, a 7,500-square-foot house which DaSilva designed (his wife collaborated) in Chathamport. "The client asked for a large house, but one that would not overwhelm the more modest suburban Capes and colonials of its post-war neighborhood," Crosbie writes.
   
   In speaking of his designs, DaSilva frequently mentions great architects of the past. In the case of Pepperwood he evokes John Soane and Edwin Lutyens, who was known for adapting traditional architectural styles in the early years of the 20th century. "The interior of this house is, in many ways, informed by the kind of things they did," he says.
   
   Playfulness and wit are traits that "make our projects fresh," DaSilva says. At Pepperwood this is expressed by repeating the gambrel roof shape of the front elevation throughout the house in whimsical details.
   
   DaSilva proved his versatility as a designer when he took on a radically different project-- a municipal restroom. "This was a challenging project," he says. It's on Chatham's town green. "Putting the rest rooms there, you don't want it to look like a camp structure." DaSilva used, of all things, a Greek temple as his model. "It's a simplified and more abstract version." (On the morning after the grand opening someone strung toilet paper across the portico with "Acrapolis" on it - the firm took this as a compliment!) PSDAB designed the building pro bono.
   
   Do PSDAB projects share common elements? DaSilva believes so. He mentions the firm's fastidiousness in orientation that takes advantage of natural lighting. While every site differs, "we try to have every major room have two exposures," he says.
   
   "Architecture" took about a year and a half to put together. Now, DaSilva says, "I want to put this book aside and create the work to go into volume two."

2 comments about 100 Houses for 100 Architects (Special Edition).

1. This book is not as bad as the previous reviewer makes it out to be. It presents a wide selection of architects houses, from William Morris in the Nineteenth Century to Francine Houben at the end of the Twentieth. The documentation of every house is quite decent and gives a good understanding of the spaces, with a good textual explanation, and the photographs are of great quality. Some houses have probably rarely appeared in print, as for instance those of Fernando Tavora, Christian Norberg-Schulz, and Jose Antonio Coderch. Besides, the book gives a great idea about these architects' conception of the 'home', as for instance in Coderch's case, who conceived his house in a vernacular mode quite different from the architecture he is known for.



2. There's nothing terrible about the book. But it is so easily beat out by other architecture books (including others by Taschen publishing) that there's no reason to get this book or waste your time reading much about it.

1 comments about From a Cause to a Style: Modernist Architecture's Encounter with the American City.

1. Nathan Glazer's book, "From A Cause To A Style" is a must read if you want to know where modern architecture has gone, especially in the residential field. In very clear terms and with excellent examples, the reader learns to some degree just how dumbed down we have become regarding architecture and the arts. The Star architects now do museums and entertainment palaces. They do not do housing like they used to primarily because the public has rejected what they did. Glazer sets this all down with both clarity and precision and if you would understand why the developer demolished the perfectly adequate house next door and built a house capable of becoming a fancy servants quarters for the Queen of England, this is whare you find that out. Every architect should own and read this book.

2 comments about London Style: Streets, Interiors, Details (Icon (Taschen)).

1. Artsy black & white pics show London street scenes in the first (small) section. Then the large sections of excellent color photography illustrate a variety of interiors, then decorating details.
   
   Most of the space is given to the pictorial, as befits a book on how things look; what little trilingual (English-French-German) text exists is poetically descriptive.
   
   Styles represented tend toward the spare and eclectic - we're not talking about conspicuous consumption or Martha wannabes here - probably "urban bohemian" is the general trend. Architectural details are proudly and blatantly incorporated into the overall scheme of things... It's a work well worth inclusion in your library



2. This book is an excellent viewbook if you want to get a taste of contemporary London interiors. It has very modern, a bit more classic and very simple interiors as well. There is very little text in the book, but the photos are all full page and very well made, high quality. A fun book to flip through and get inspiration from!

4 comments about Chateaux of the Loire Valley.

1. This is without a doubt the best book on the chateaux of the Loire Valley that I ever ever read (and I have read dozens). Given the superb quality of the pictures and the descriptions of the various chateaux, it is quite a bargain even at the full list price. Now that I think of it, this book is so enjoyable that the coffee table (or the night stand) would be an excellent place to keep it, not for show, but to have it handy to read whenever the mood arises.



2. The book Chateaux of the Loire Valley by Jean-Marie Perouse De Montclos and photographer Robert Polidori is definitely the nicest coffee table book on sale about the beautiful castles of the Loire Valley. Besides being a superb wine growing region, the Loire River south of Paris offers a unique combination of beautiful landscapes and castles, which makes it one of France's most attractive regions. You should take at least a week or ten days to do a round trip. This book gives you an excellent idea of what to expect - or you cannot make it - what you are missing!



3. This is a superb book and a great purchase. I was happily surprised at the excellent quality of the book itself. This chateaux collection is by Jean-Marie Perouse de Montclos author of 'Fontaineblue', which I had bought earlier and enjoyed thoroughly. Perouse de Montclos is obviously an authority in this so interesting and imposing a realm. 'Chateaux of the Loire Valley' is beautifully captured pictorially by Robert Polidori, this treat alone unfolds like some magical visual biography of France, and the world. I can't begin to tell you how much charm this book brings. The architectural relics and historical wonders are each detailed in the accompanying text. The history of Chinon, for example. There is a preface with the best chronology of the Kings of France I've ever seen. Never ending information and art photos about the castles, one better than the other. Including a profile of the unique Chenonceaux, with it's haunting echo of the fascinating Diane de Poitiers. With it's modest price this has to be one of the most satisfying books I've ever come across. You might also look up 'Fountainbleau' a literary and visual collection about the legendary French chateau by the same author.



4. We own this beautiful book. It is filled with high quality photographs, portraying the true beauty of the Lorie Valley. We are purchasing one more copy as a gift for a dear friend who traveled with us to Chenonceaux, and Chambord. Our personal photo's did not do justice to the true beauty of these castles.

   This book will be on our coffee table, to remind us of the breathtaking experience we had, while being in the presence of such lovely architecture. I highly recommend this book!!

   We have visited France in 1997, 1998, and 1999.

5 comments about The White House Pop-Up Book.

1. It's not a real pop up book, But
   it was a informed book about the
   White house.



2. I was so looking forward to unwrapping this book, and couldn't believe how disappointing it was. I'm a huge fan of pop-up books, and this is the worst one I've ever seen. There are very few pop-ups! And some of them don't even work--are hopelessly stuck after only one use. There is material in little booklets which you open (they do not "pop"), and it's hard to imagine them being less interesting or visually appealing. They're stuck willy-nilly on the pages.
   
   I especially wanted to see the different rooms in the White House, but the way they're displayed in a very weird pull-out on the back page which wobbles as you try to open it, you can't really get a sense of them. I wanted to show this book to children in the family, but there's no way they could enjoy it.
   
   I can't believe someone decided to publish this book.



3. I bought this book for my daughter-in-law for Christmas, along with another pop-up-book. I was dissappointed because while there are slide-outs and lots of information, the only real pop-up is in the center of the book. The other pop-up book was wonderful, and maybe I'm only comparing the two, but like I said; a real dissappointment.



4. As far as Pop-Up books go;this has to rank right up there with the best.I will not bother to detail what is inside the book since that has already been done very well by the Editorial and Customer Reviews.
   I have already reviewed other Pop-Up books and believe a different approach needs to be taken depending on the subject of the book.For example;"America the Beautiful" and "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" by Robert Sabuda could be described as delightful and fanciful in the case of "Alice" and majestically in the case of "America" and so should they be in these cases. The "White House" needs to be done in a completely different way.It requires formality,seriousness and utmost respect in the way it is handled. This has been carried off extremely well by Fischer and results in an excellent book,presentation and given the respect the subject demands and deserves.
   I am surprised that no one has brought up the construction involved in this book in particular ,as well as the other two I mentioned.It takes great skill figure out how to make pop-ups work,and I am sure the printing of such intricate stuff must also be real challenging.The quality of the paper,printing and color rendering are likewise very important and well done. All that being said; these 3 books all suffer from one major weakness.One cannot, and should not, expect them to survive rough usage and they are definately not suitable for kids to handle roughly.However; a much better job and design is needed at the hinges where the spline connects to the front and back covers.I noticed there were several copies in the store where the hinges were already split.Even with care,it won't take much handling for others to split as well;it's just a matter of time and use. There is simply no way these books will stand up to use in schools or libraries ,or in fact even with normal use in the home.Applying "Scotch" brand Book Tape; along both edges of the spline will help on the outside,but that still leaves the inside hinges which are likewise too fragile and subject to cracking and spliting.
   It is a shame that such an otherwise excellently constructed,albeit a difficult project ; has such a weakness and is so prone to failure.



5. I have been fascinated by pop-ups since I was a kid and now collect them. I also have a love of history. This is the best pop-up I own. Fischer is a great artist,engineer and, as shown in this project, historian. This is a must have and a terrific gift.

4 comments about Richard Neutra, 1892-1970: Survival Through Design (Taschen Basic Architecture).

1. I agree with all of the other reviewers in that this is a very high quality book in general. Very nice photos and high quality printing. But, there are NO floorplans or blueprints in this book. There are only tiny thumbnail size floorplan drawings of each home that have no details--they don't label the different rooms or show any built-in furniture or closet spaces. The kitchens are not notated nor are any kitchen cabinets shown. The drawings only show walls and windows and don't even show the standard architectural symbols for swinging doors. You are left to guess what rooms are bedrooms, bathrooms, living rooms ect!
   
   So if you want to study a Neutra house by examining the floorplan or blueprint, you cannot do so with this book! How can you you have a book about an architect and exclude architectural drawings? This book is nothing but a small format coffee table book for people who are not interested in really studying what made Neutra homes unique and interesting.
   
   If you are interested in getting a book with drawings of Neutra homes, then this is NOT the book for you. The thumbnail drawings are virtually useless.
   
   I would not recommend this book.



2. For a very thin book, very informative, lots of photos, though most interior shots are black and white. Barbara Lamprecht provides insight into one of the pre-eminent Modernist visionaries whose work still captures the imagination today.



3. The German Publishing Company, Taschen has recently introduced a series of paperback monographs covering the lives and works of the Twentieth Century's greatest architects.
   
   The series follows a standardized format. The books are 96 pages long and begin with an introductory biographical chapter. The book then moves onto brief chapters highlighting the master architect's most iconic buildings. The book is very well written and his covered head to toe with beautiful photographs. The book is of the high quality that one generally associates with Taschen publishing.
   
   Richard Neutra, an Austrian immigrant helped introduce the United States to European "modernism". His early works shows the clear influence of Bauhuas. What made Neutra one of the great architects is that he took modernist ideas and gave them a uniquely American character. We are currently experiencing a mid century modern revival and Richard Neutra was one of creators of that style. This book is a wonderful introduction to the works of this great architect. Taschen hits another home run! A great value. Highly recommended.



4. I have written two research papers on Richard Neutra and therefore have read lots and lots of books about the architect and his evocative buildings. This book, while admittedly just a quick look at Neutra's major works, is well-written (even lyric at times), packed with information, and interesting. She discusses his background and influences, theories of biorealism and technology, and characteristic stylistic language. The quality of the photographs is excellent--they are crisp and clear and literally pop out of the page, alive with contrast and color. I bought this book on a whim thinking that it would be just "fun" compared to longer, more involved texts, but it has become my favorite!!

5 comments about The Genius in the Design: Bernini, Borromini, and the Rivalry That Transformed Rome.

1. This book sounded fascinating: Rome, architechture, golden age, personalities, drama; what else could a reader want? As it turns out, plenty.
   I don't know architecture, so found some of the book a slow go. The author painstakingly describes churches, fountains, etc., in detail - but a few photos would have saved (or enlightened) a few thousand words.
   This was a rather dry bio of these two folks, with disappointingly little about how they and their crafts fared in the context of life in the day. For example, I found the fluidity between their "careers" in sculpture, painting, and architecture to be remarkable. Almost as though architecture had not yet evolved into a credible career. I was surprised at the extent to which the Popes were intimiately involved in architecture - not just of St. Peters, but throughout the city.
   
   There is but passing reference to how Rome had to eye the impressive power of France and Spain warily; this must have colored some aspects of life in the day - including how these two gentlement found there way. Even so, Bernini's trip to France late in life is a dry narrative.
   
   Dava Sobel's LONGITUDE is a much better example of treatment of historical concepts that includes description of everyday events and brings the era to life. This wasn't such a long book, so no harm no foul. But now I have to Google all these places to see what Mr. Morrisseey was talking about.



2. This book is excellent. It will make you see the beauty of Rome from a more personal direction. The competition between these two figures was of great benefit to Rome.



3. Here's a look at a splendid historic period in a splendid city revealed to us through the lives of two artistic geniuses, Gian Lorenzo Bernini and Francesco Borromini. Jake Morrissey gives us a smooth ride through the rough roads of 18th Century Rome, a world dominated and manipulated by various popes and cardinals but given lasting meaning, in the end, by the artists of the period, primarily Bernini and Borromini. Morrissey knows how to spin the story without getting bogged down in architectural minutiae while giving plenty details to set the mood and the understanding of the story. I have never been able to decide which of the two I most prefer, one visit to Rome it's Bernini and on another it's Borromini and Morrissey's book didn't help me change that but certainly helped me to admire them both more than I already did. It is a book that would immeasurably enhance anyone's visit to Rome bringing another dimension to the appreciation of the extraordinary buildings left as a legacy by these two men.



4. One of those "one can't put the book down" nonfiction reads.



5. The tantrums, the egos, the "in your face, Pope" attitude and the rest of the drama that surrounds the building of Rome. Interesting read for those who are interested in history, drama and intrigue.