Western Architecture: From Ancient Greece to the Present

Rating:
Summary: Easy to understand and a pleasure to read
Review: It's always best to have this subject explained by a single author, as opposed to several, each expounding on his or her specialized area, overwhelming the reader. On the other hand, if it's presented too briefly, it becomes an impossible-to-remember chronology of unrelated buildings. This book, though, presents it in just the right depth, using an effortless and light writing style. Greek temples, the author points out, show "no hint of a way to get in".

Thus begins a story that, to paraphrase him, is complicated and impossible to simplify. Fortunately he explains it well: Romanesque is, in a way, the first Renaissance, as Charlemagne tries to associate his empire with Imperial Rome. The actual Renaissance is a transitional point because, for the first time, architecture is based on scholarship; this continues until the 19th century, as new archeological discoveries (early Doric columns had no bases) add to the repertoire.

And he claims that a totally unknown Modern architect is on a par with Wright, showing he's confident enough in the subject to think for himself.

Rating:
Summary: Architecture of the Ages
Review: Western Architecture has many wonderful examples of old churches, catedrals and government buildings dating all the way back to the Roman Empire. Although this books has many great pictures, it spends very little time on domestic architecture and dosen't deal with many modern buildings.

Rating:
Summary: Lucid and readable
Review: With this book, Ian Sutton has struck gold. It is quite simply the best introduction to a fascinating subject, and a natural companion to David Watkins' "History of Western Architecture." In elegant prose Sutton charts the evolution of architecure from pre-classical Greece to the present day. Highly recommended for anyone interessed in the subject

Rating:
Summary: Lucid and readable
Review: With this book, Ian Sutton has struck gold. It is quite simply the best introduction to a fascinating subject, and a natural companion to David Watkins' "History of Western Architecture." In elegant prose Sutton charts the evolution of architecure from pre-classical Greece to the present day. Highly recommended for anyone interessed in the subject