Rating: 
Summary: An Error in the Distance
Review: Reading this biography of the seminal American park planner was thrilling to this landscape professional. But even more was the realization that an imperfect, frustrating career produced such great work. It gave me hope for my own. I enjoyed how deeply the author explored the personal experience of F.L. Olmsted, but I suspect the picture is not balanced. How could a father, sometimes absent, sometimes depressed only be the warm family man that W.R. describes? Surely, I am judging the subject from culture steeped in psychology, but if W.R. is going to apply modern psychological perspective to a pre-psychology subject, he should at least acknowledge that there are probably unstated qualities and events that do not surface in letters.
Rating: 
Summary: Compassionate, intellegent writing
Review: Reading this biography of the seminal American park planner was thrilling to this landscape professional. But even more was the realization that an imperfect, frustrating career produced such great work. It gave me hope for my own. I enjoyed how deeply the author explored the personal experience of F.L. Olmsted, but I suspect the picture is not balanced. How could a father, sometimes absent, sometimes depressed only be the warm family man that W.R. describes? Surely, I am judging the subject from culture steeped in psychology, but if W.R. is going to apply modern psychological perspective to a pre-psychology subject, he should at least acknowledge that there are probably unstated qualities and events that do not surface in letters.
Rating:
Summary: Highly Recommended
Review: The best single piece of advice a teacher can give to a budding scholar is this: Go to the original source! On the other hand, a thorough and well-integrated biography can profitably lead one to seek the original data. In this new biography of Frederick Law Olmsted, author Witold Rybczynski creates a portrait of Olmsted few could glean from even a careful perusal of the Olmsted archives. Rybczynski traces Olmsted's life, allotting equal emphasis to Olmsted's peregrinating early career, one that meandered aimlessly through seemingly incompatible by-ways yet almost predictably emerging with him as a pioneer landscape architect. Olmsted's career, starting in 1858 with the design of Central Park in New York City, resulted in an astounding achievement nationally, only recently being generally appreciated. New Yorkers and Brooklynites were only the early beneficiaries of his genius. Though Rybczynski credits the series, a serious reader must turn to the original materials available in the magnificent series, The Papers of Frederick Law Olmsted (Johns Hopkins Press). Projected for twelve volumes, seven are now published, with an auxiliary companion volume to volume one. Additionally, there has grown up a large corpus of works about Olmsted. This new biography is a first-rate addition and a fitting place to begin a study. (Reviewed by Allan Shields in Ballast Quarterly Review, Vol 15 No 2, Winter 1999-2000. Copyright © by Allan Shields.)
Rating:
Summary: Highly Recommended
Review: The best single piece of advice a teacher can give to a budding scholar is this: Go to the original source! On the other hand, a thorough and well-integrated biography can profitably lead one to seek the original data. In this new biography of Frederick Law Olmsted, author Witold Rybczynski creates a portrait of Olmsted few could glean from even a careful perusal of the Olmsted archives. Rybczynski traces Olmsted's life, allotting equal emphasis to Olmsted's peregrinating early career, one that meandered aimlessly through seemingly incompatible by-ways yet almost predictably emerging with him as a pioneer landscape architect. Olmsted's career, starting in 1858 with the design of Central Park in New York City, resulted in an astounding achievement nationally, only recently being generally appreciated. New Yorkers and Brooklynites were only the early beneficiaries of his genius. Though Rybczynski credits the series, a serious reader must turn to the original materials available in the magnificent series, The Papers of Frederick Law Olmsted (Johns Hopkins Press). Projected for twelve volumes, seven are now published, with an auxiliary companion volume to volume one. Additionally, there has grown up a large corpus of works about Olmsted. This new biography is a first-rate addition and a fitting place to begin a study. (Reviewed by Allan Shields in Ballast Quarterly Review, Vol 15 No 2, Winter 1999-2000. Copyright © by Allan Shields.)
Rating: 
Summary: Good book: Watch out for the historical fiction though
Review: The book is great, and should be read. Rybczynski's enthusiasm for this fascinating subject is infectious. The biography is very personal, with lots of space devoted to growing up, family live, etc. I was surprised at this touch having only read Rybczynski's more analytical "City Life." It's a different side to this author. Watch out for these italicized 2-4 page sections where the author writes historical fiction to supplement the narrative. I didn't like them at all. The preface warns you that they are based on Olmstead's letters, and aren't neccessarily real. I personally don't like any blurring between fact and fiction in a biography, and think that these sections unneccesarily insert the biographer's literary ego into the biography.
Rating:
Summary: A beautiful book about a remarkable man
Review: This book strikes a lovely balance between describing Olmsted's life and personal history and his creations, parks that span the United States. You may be surprised to learn, as I was, the vast number of projects he undertook. How Central Park was really his first significant project. How he had to fight political and economic battles to keep it from being ruined. How he was able to truly "get it right" with Brooklyn's Prospect Park. Through the fascinating descriptions of the landscapes, the author also provides great insight into Olmsted's life. What struck me the most was how Olmsted, as with many of his contemporaries (U.S. Grant, Mark Twain) worried for most of his life about his finances and his career. This is a first rate work, told in a clear and compelling fashion.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Biography
Review: This is a remarkable and sensitive biography of a man who has left an amazing legacy to later generations. More engaging than "City Life". At first, the fictional passages bothered me, but they are carefully written, and do not distort the story. In fact, they lend a great deal toward bringing Olmsted's time to life. As another reviewer has commented, the author's affection for his subject is indeed infectious. Lack of detail on specific projects is not a drawback in this book, as the author lists other works in which the reader can find further detail.
Rating: 
Summary: A disgrace of a biography
Review: This work, which preceded the outcry over "Dutch," attracted scant attention for its overt use of fiction. Yet it is every bit as deceptive. I began skipping the (banal) fictional passages and still found the book a disappointment, with not nearly enough on the design and building of New York's Central Park.
Rating:
Summary: An Informative Introduction To An American Innovator
Review: To me, a biography is successful if the author conveys both the subject's accomplishments and the influences that helped to shape these deeds. Rybczynski easily meets these standards in this entertaining, instructive study. Rybczynski spends a lot of time discussing the significance of Olmsted's major projects, like Prospect Park and Mount Royal. The innovations that Olmsted brought to the field of landscape architecture in these projects are clearly laid out for the reader. However, these discussions were not the main point that I took from the book. Instead, I was enthralled with the discussions of the various jobs and travels that Olmsted undertook throughout his life, particularly in his formative years. Rybczynski does an excellent job of showing that these diverse experiences not only satiated Olmsted's curiosity, but also were essential to the development of Olmsted's views on landscape architecture. It is refreshing to find an example of the belief that a variety of experiences are necessary to bring out new talents, enhance existing skills, and create a well-rounded individual. I highly recommend A Clearing In The Distance for many reasons. These reasons include a concise writing style and a multi-faceted subject. But, above all, the book brings attention to an individual deserving of such study. It is this quality that makes A Clearing In The Distance a "must-read" for not only admirers of Olmsted's works, but for anyone who is interested in the creative development of an innovator in their field.
Rating:
Summary: An Informative Introduction To An American Innovator
Review: To me, a biography is successful if the author conveys both the subject's accomplishments and the influences that helped to shape these deeds. Rybczynski easily meets these standards in this entertaining, instructive study. Rybczynski spends a lot of time discussing the significance of Olmsted's major projects, like Prospect Park and Mount Royal. The innovations that Olmsted brought to the field of landscape architecture in these projects are clearly laid out for the reader. However, these discussions were not the main point that I took from the book. Instead, I was enthralled with the discussions of the various jobs and travels that Olmsted undertook throughout his life, particularly in his formative years. Rybczynski does an excellent job of showing that these diverse experiences not only satiated Olmsted's curiosity, but also were essential to the development of Olmsted's views on landscape architecture. It is refreshing to find an example of the belief that a variety of experiences are necessary to bring out new talents, enhance existing skills, and create a well-rounded individual. I highly recommend A Clearing In The Distance for many reasons. These reasons include a concise writing style and a multi-faceted subject. But, above all, the book brings attention to an individual deserving of such study. It is this quality that makes A Clearing In The Distance a "must-read" for not only admirers of Olmsted's works, but for anyone who is interested in the creative development of an innovator in their field.
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