Customer Reviews

African Architecture: Evolution and Transformation

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Elleh's effort is well-worthy of praise for its scope, but lacks in scholarly quality. Her triple-heritage theory is interesting but poorly-applied in many instances throughout the book, especially because of the broad timeline the book attempts to address. The images are marvelous, and inclusive, though some are incongrous to the articles they accompany. This is a very basic book, good for a coffee table or an introductory course on the subject, but one I could not recommend for the more serious scholar.

This book moves vernacular architecture from the backwaters of academia to the vangard. I was impressed by the authors academic and 'open' style. He has given the architectural student and professional population the opportunity to both explore African architecture and their own perhaps jaundiced view of the region. Everyone should come out a winner after reading this book. I say give me more!

This is a book that is well worth buying, whether you are an undergrad or a professor in Architecture, art, design anthopology or history. I will be using this book as a reference book. I wish this book was around fifteen years ago when I was studying architecture. I say, three cheers to the author.

Good:
1. How many books have you read on African Architecture?
2. How many books have you read on African Architecture by a person of African descent?
3. The book does not limit African architecture to rural village designs.
4. Neither does it separate Egyptian architecture from African origins.

Bad:
1. It has few good pictures and too many black and white illustrations.
2. Though it includes various aspects of African architecture its main focus is on Ancient Egyptian, North African, and contemporary architecture. Emphasis on West African adobe architecture, Medieval Swahili cities, and Ethiopian architecture was lacking severely, especially considering how much they truly represent the whole continent.

This book was a noble effort to shed light on a subject that most people know nothing about, but it misses the mark in literary style. In other words, it would be nice to have for reference, but it's nearly impossible to read. The style is akin to what I'd expect from a high school student writing a research paper. Elleh's triple heritage theory (traditional, Islamic and colonial influences on African styles) appears throughout the book, but never is it defended clearly and cohesively. I'd like to see this book re-written and professionally edited. With the amount of research that Elleh put into this work, the potential is there for a truly great book.

Hugely disappointing. This book promises more than it really delivers. Having lived and worked as an architect in Africa, I found the
research superficial and use of outdated references gives african architecture a less than positve image.I dont recoomend this book at all.

I have not read this book from cover to cover, but I have read a bit of it, and more importantly I have a personal relationship with the author, as Dr. Elleh has overseen my own graduate thesis work and I have sat in several of his lectures.

The bigger picture here is that in the early 1980's, Dr. Elleh, a scholar originally from Nigeria, found himself attempting to work on building a deeper understanding of Architecture, Power, and Africa when he came to the United States as a student. Yet there was very little ground work for this study, and so as a grad student, he built it himself. This book was actually his own master's thesis.

It has many flaws, mostly dealing with the writing, yet with very little to work with, Elleh contributed greatly to the foundation for the study architecture and Africa. His work has since gone a great distance and his held in high regard by the international community of architectural historians.

This book isn't perfect, yet its flaws will forever fail to undermine its significance.

Dear Sirs,

When I have ordered the book I thought it will be excellent sourse for me before studing some particular topic. But I was disapointed when I read it from the very begining. It is simply poor. African architecture is very rich. It is hard to imagine how the author could write such a poor book. Photos are also not very good. Everyone who understand and can "read" arcitecture would write that there is not enough information even on the subjects which are described in the book.

I would say this book should cost less.