A Global History of Architecture
by Francis D. K. Ching, Mark M. Jarzombek, Vikramaditya Prakash
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Book Summary Information
Author: Francis D. K. Ching, Mark M. Jarzombek, Vikramaditya PrakashEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2006-08-18
ISBN: 0471268925
Number of pages: 816
Publisher: Wiley
Book Reviews of A Global History of Architecture
Book Review: long over-due summary of global architecture: a must buy
Summary: 5 Stars
This book is a sorely needed alternative to current textbooks. It is written in crisp and unsentimental style that conveys big themes but with an attention to details. The book is organized as a series of timelines beginning with 3500 BC and ending with a chapter on recent architecture. But instead of each chapter beginning at the same place in the world, each chapter begins somewhere differently.3500 BCE starts in China, 25 BCE in India, 1500 BCE in Egypt and 800 BCE with the Olmecs in Mexico. This constant turning and spinning of the globe is, in my view, quite exiting, as it gets students to learn how to be comparative in their thinking and simultaneously mobile in their intellectual understanding of history. Each chapter is introduced by a one page "take" on the architecture of each time section. These introductions, which serve as a text with a text, point out the themes of each chapter. Naturally in a work like this, one can talk about what is and is not included, but one has to give credit to the fact that book provokes that type of question in a positive way.
A fascinating argument that the authors make is that from early on architecture was changing and adapting, and, in essence, `modern.' In other words, it is not that WE are modern and everything before us was linear and stable. The book in that sense not only wants us to get a sense of the global horizon of architecture, but also a sense that architecture is very much IN history, reflecting in very real and dramatic way the changes that take place not only in technology and economy, but also in religion and power, those being four identifiable subtexts of the author's approach to the material.
I especially liked the chapter 1600 and its companion chapter "Architecture of Eurasian Power Block" which starts in Japan and works its way through Eurasia to England, not once but twice to emphasize the significance worldwide of the period 1500 to 1700 in the history of architecture. The drawings, sections, plans and photos work well with a text that is as densely packaged as this. And finally, it is worth noting that the book also serves to give the students fundamentals in the various global architectural vocabularies, Greek, Chinese, Hindu
Summary of A Global History of Architecture
From ancient Chinese civilization to the postmodern worldOrganized along a global timeline, A Global History of Architecture presents an innovative approach to the study of architectural history. Spanning from 3,500 B.C.E. to the present, this unique guide is written by an all-star team of architectural experts in their fields who emphasize the connections, contrasts, and influences of architectural movements throughout history. The architectural history of the world comes to life through a unified framework for interpreting and understanding architecture, supplemented by rich drawings from the renowned Frank Ching as well as brilliant photographs.
Architecture and art history enthusiasts will find A Global History of Architecture perpetually at their fingertips.
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