3 comments about Best Castles - England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales: The Essential Guide for Visiting and Enjoying.

1. This book, Best Castles, is, I thought, a congenial introduction to ye olde English, Scots & Wales fortresses. The small color photos are nice, and the text is concise & well-written, giving historical background. There are also in-depth pages on castle life at different times. I used this book to pick out some other British single-castle guidebooks from Amazon U.S. and U.K., such as Hever Castle (where Henry VIII & Ann Boleyn met) with its modern Tudor village.



2. Gorgeous photos, nice descriptions, but too short & not detailed enough. It would also have helped to have had captions under the photos; I frequently couldn't tell what I was looking at. I also wished it were longer. Overall a worthwhile book if a little on the shallow side.



3. I am a big fan of ruined castles. I like ancient, crumbling old buildings from times long past. There are many such castles in the British Isles, but there are also many more "modern" castles, built hundreds of years after the medieval period, filled with sumptuous carpets and luxurious wall coverings and such. I can see the allure of these castles for some people, but they do not hold the same wonder for me, and when I am paying a lot of money to visit a foreign country, I want to optimize my experience as much as possible.
   
   This book is wonderful because it lets me do just that. Many guidebooks (I use the Let's Go and Rough Guides) do not differentiate between different kinds of castles, and offer a brief description of each one. It's hard to know what you're getting into before you actually arrive. With this book, you can get a preview of each castle, so you're never surprised. I mentioned my personal love of ruins, but this book is great for any taste, or just the curious.
   
   The information on each structure is sparse, and much attention is paid to the glorious full color photographs. I never got the impression this book was trying to be the authority on castle information however, and I think it succeeds admirably at its chosen task. It is a good supplemental guidebook if you're interested in the topic.

No comments about Architecture: Reason + Emotion.

3 comments about Sarasota Modern.

1. To it's credit, this book whet my appetite to learn more about modernist residential architecture in Sarasota. And it has many pretty pictures of renovated homes with many mid-century props.
   
   What it lacks, however, is an editor - someone who would have insisted on comprehensible prose, who would have deleted the redundancies, clichés, and trivial gossip, and who would have focused the text on the architecture and its significance. Instead we have a coffee-table-sized real estate brochure - loads of eye candy but so very little substance.



2. Sarasota Modern is the best book published about the Sarasota School of Architecture to this date, because it shows the houses as they are today, and discusses the architect, the client and how each project has evolved over time. Andrew Weaving owns, restores and writes about modern architecture in Florida and understands the work, the architects and their original intent, plus allows us to peek inside to see how owners choose to enjoy these houses today. Architects highlighted are from the past to the present, including Paul Rudolph, Edward "Tim" Seibert/Seibert Architects, Gene Leedy, Carl Abbott, Victor Lundy, Jack West, Ralph Twitchell, Toshiko Mori and many others. Buy this book if you want to learn why this body of work is considered Sarasota's most important art form, and a growing source of tourism for Sarasota Florida.



3. The photographs in this publication are surperb in every way and they really show off the many beautiful homes in the publication. It is essentially a ""coffee table book" as the printed information is very general in nature and not informative when it comes to understanding the intellectual underpinings of the whole development of the Sarasota School of Architecture. I think the book would have been much more complete with a discussion of the philosophy behind the development of these homes and their place in both the history of modern architecture and the history of achitecture in the western world.

2 comments about The Victorian Home in America: With Over 250 Illustrations.

1. 15 years before this book appeared, the author, born in Austria but converted to a love of Victorian architecture upon his arrival in the US, produced "The Gingerbread Age," the first popular volume that dared to express admiration for a period in building then considered the nadir of the art. In his Foreword to this work he talks of the "torrent of fan mail" that followed. It's not saying too much to maintain that his work was responsible for the eventual revival in Victorian architecture which began with the hippies creating Painted Ladies in '70's San Francisco and swept the nation in the mid-'80's. Having established the true quality of post-Greek-Revival, pre-World-War-I houses, he turns here to a deeper analysis and description of the different major styles--Gothic, Italianate, octagons, Mansards, Queen Anne, Richardson Romanesque. Lavishly illustrated with bw photographs, floor plans, and reproductions of period pictures, its text written in everyday language with little specialized jargon, and provided with a large appendix listing where to view existing Victorians and a sound list of books to go on to, the book concentrates chiefly on exteriors, though some views of notable rooms are included. If you're looking for good basic overviews of domestic building of the era, Maass's two books are indispensable to your collection. As a social historian, I consult them often.



2. Over two hundred black and white illustrations blends an architectural survey with a history of Victorian times from 1840-1900, examining the many styles of town and country homes of the times and describing both interiors and exteriors. The Victorian Home In America presents fascinating architectural coverage.

No comments about Foster + Partners: Catalogue.

2 comments about Painted Ladies Revisited: San Francisco's Resplendent Victorians Inside and Out.

1. 11 years after the publication of "Painted Ladies," Elizabeth Pomada returned to San Francisco to gaze anew upon its Victorians, and found a new concern for authenticity, subtlety, and sophistication in what she now calls the "Colorist Movement." The examples she shows here, while still splendidly detailed and richly pigmented, are for the most part less gaudy than those in the first book, reflecting the emergence of yuppies onto the preservationist stage earlier occupied by hippies and radicals. Almost the best part of the book, however, is the many interiors she has included, often by houseowners with a keen interest in authentic restoration. Architecture and interior-decorating buffs alike will want to own this volume.



2. If ever you want to be inspired, transformed, bowled over or "wowwed" by the possibilities of an old house... Read the Pomada/Larsen series. The pictures are breathtakenly beautiful and the text is quite informative. Lots of 'pearls of wisdom' there. Before you buy that victorian, read this book for some informative information. After you buy--keep reading (like a litany) to keep the vision alive amidst the rubble and asbestos. You won't be sorry ---you will be renewed. These books were like falling in love, or the collector's itch---The fever is maddening but the end result is Oh so sweet. Get them all!! (5 titles still available)

3 comments about Art & Architecture of Cambodia (World of Art).

1. It gives you a vague idea of the Cambodian Art & Arquitecture.



2. There are some table top books on Khmer art available which are great, but this publication is the only _compact_ book on Khmer art available which gives a stringent, chronological and readable introduction into the history of Khmer art.
   
   Even the best guide (IMHO of course) to Angkor by Michael Freeman and Claude Jacques: "Ancient Angkor" [River Books *2003*, ISBN 9748225275, not listed at Amazon] which of course concentrates on the various temples in Ankor can be confusing concerning the time line and development of Khmer art.
   
   Moreover, Ibbitson Jessup choose many fine examples of Khmer art today on display in the National Museum in Phnom Penh. Which means, if you read the book before travelling you will be able to see the original sculptures later in Cambodia, or even better to read some sections a second time in front of the art works. This will give you a much deeper understanding of everything you will see in Angkor.
   
   This compact and readable introduction to Khmer Art this is IMHO the best travel companion available at the moment and makes a perfect duo with the guide by Freeman/Jaques.



3. Not up to T&H's usual standard in terms of production - binding not great (refers to pbk edition), printing of the images below current expected standards. But none of that can be blamed on Jessup - and these faults are the downside of a book which is very cheap for what you get. However, the text is another matter - by no means authoritative as the blurb proclaims - in particular, the first chapter is best left totally unread because of the errors - indicative of which is the howler on page 8 which states that Thai is a Mon-Khmer language - even the most sleepy editor should have spotted that one - unfortunately not the worst example - just the first that jumped out. BUT not all is bad - the selection of images is good and there will be at least some new to people who have an interest in this field, the bibliography has most of the important references and generally the documentation is very good. There are good examples of most of the important aspects of Cambodian art and architecture. If you want a book with a reasonable overview of art and architecture (but not of the Cambodian background) and you don't mind a small format for the photographs, then this is it.

2 comments about Chinese Architecture: A Pictorial History (Dover Books on Architecture).

1. A large amount of scholarship, care and skill were put into writing this book. The detailed drawings reveal the structure of Chinese architecture (religious and monumental architecture, not commercial or domestic). The drawings are worth the price of the book, while the writing gets a bit boring. But, and this would entail changing the author's book drastically, it needs updating or overhauling--since the book was written 60-70 years ago (with a modern day foreward). It needs to go from Wade-Giles into the pinyin romanization of Chinese characters, and also needs a map or two highlighting where the structures are in China. A better book would be one that keeps his drawings, but uses his writing as source materials and then rewrites it to put things into a better context and flow.



2. Liang Sicheng is among one of the most outstanding Chinese scholars that I admire and respect deeply. As a young man,the beauty of Chinese architecture inspired him to be the first person who studied traditional Chinese architecture scientifically with western methods.After Liang graduated from U.Penn., he moved to Harvard and registered under Graduate School of Art& Science, where he chose the subject "Chinses Architecture". Because there had almost no references in the area, he promised his professor that he will back to China to collect first hand data, and than back to US to finish his study.
   The rest of his story is unbelievably dramatic.( You can find more details in <> by Wilma Fairbank)
   
   I am very glad for the reprint of this cheaper edition, this is the book that every historian of Chinese architecture should have.Highly recommended to Chinese historians as well as architecture lover.

5 comments about Contemporary.

1. I feel this book should be titled more as to the content. The design work in the book is primarily l950's and l960's.
   This was not what I expected when I purchased a "Contemporary" book. I felt it should reflect at the most the early 2000's to date. I feel it is worth while for my purpose now which will be a donation to the local library.



2. Woah! This is one of the coolest books ever! I very seldom have given 5 stars to anything, but this one deserves it! Jackson really went out of her way in obtaining these pictures-the real deal, too. If you've ever seen a retro Armstrong flooring ad, a home modernizing magazine from the 50s-60s, Matt Maranian's book "Pad", or anything on retro ranch homes and furniture, this one takes the cake! It's also gives a pseudo-history of midcentury architecture, through pictures-and it's amazing how many pictures are here. I haven't purchased the books "Modernism Revisited", "Inspiring Interiors from Armstrong", or "The Eames Primer", although I plan to get these, but if you or someone you know are into this period, this is definitely a book to obtain. I have a friend that just went ape over it when he saw it. Now he wants to go retro, too. Another book that I've had my eyes on is "Modern Retro Living with Midcentury Modern". Once I get these, I'll leave reviews, as well. Don't hesitate to get this one if you're into this period, also!



3. If you like the direct innovative designs of the 50's & 60's this book will provide a great overview with lots of photos.
   It would have been nice to see more coverage of the furnishing specifics, especially DUNBAR and Edward Wormley - my personal favorites.

   Put on some lounge music, pour a martini and enjoy!




4. This is a pretty cool book. The photos are honest, as they're from the era instead of reconstructed rooms today. Very in depth also; it covers furniture, architecture, glassware, kitchens, textiles and other home furnishings.



5. This book is a great general guide to what was 'contemporary' - including architecture of the home, public building and office. In addition, it delves into interior design - including glass, wall treatments, flooring and furniture. The prospective reader should be made aware right off that this book is written from the British perspective - one will see British English spellings of words, and names of British companies. However, the vast majority of the book deals with American developments, which is more pertinant to the US reader. I call this book a great 'general' introduction because it digs about 75% of the way into each subject. But how many other books can cover so many subjects as well? None that I've been able to find so far. The book is richly illustrated, including some photos which span the entire page. The text is interesting and easy to understand. After reading each chapter of the book, you are left with a good basic undertanding of what you've just read. The pictures themselves are generally period photos, which really help the reader see what 'contemporary' was to the eyes of the folks living at that time. If you are contemplating purchasing a 'contemporary house', or perhaps decorating in the 'contemporary' style, this book will give you some good ideas. Overall, a very enjoyable book - it would make a good present, and look great sitting on your coffee table!

2 comments about China Modern.

1. This book is at the cutting-edge of today's modern Chinese interior design. The selection of the featured projects covers a wide range of style. Generally speaking, the majority of these projects are great works (except for one HK house). I have personally been to several of the places featured in this book. The text and the pictures captured the beauty of these places and provided rich information about the cultural values behind decoration and designing. Simply put, this is a high quality book. I can feel that the authors are really serious about the content and have done a lot of research. If you like Chinese style and modern decoration, this is definitely an excellent source.



2. written by obviously one of the region's foremost authorities on Chinese design and interiors having been in Hongkong with Elle Decor and other excellent publications for many years, Sharon Leece knows her way around the traditional feng shui and new leanings of the China elite as well as the western expat with a home and heart in Asia. Creative and informative text and fabulous photos take the reader on a trip into another world of China Decor uptil now unseen but sure to be come a trend worldwide. Check out her other China interior books for even more wonderful shots of lush and lavish spaces.