Customer Reviews

American Masterworks: The Twentieth-Century House

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This book successfully captures the vast architectural contributions achieved in the Twentieth Century in American residential design by spotlighting 33 masterpieces located across the country.

The book begins with stunning photographs and drawings of remarkable homes built early in the century, including the Greene and Greene Gamble House in Pasadena, Ca., Rudolph Schindler's Lovell Beach House in Newport Beach, Ca., and Richard Neutra's Lovell Heath House in Los Angeles, Ca. Then, homes are featured that embody "the triumph of the modern American house," including Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater in Bear Run, Pa. The final and largest section of the book highlights "blueprints for modern living," such as Philip Johnson's Glass House in New Canaan, Ct., Louis Kahn's Korman House in Fort Washington, Pa., and Frank Gehry's house in Santa Monica, Ca.

The book lets the images of the homes, exterior and interior, speak for themselves through extra-large photographs. The accompanying commentary focuses well on the architects' contributions to architecture.

I very highly recommend this book. It is the best compilation of American residential masterpieces of the Twentieth Century that I've seen, and even more importantly, the authors have put the differing styles in perspective with the evolution of American architecture.

I had been looking at this book for a while in the large chain bookstore that recently closed. I was practically drooling on all of the pictures of the Gamble House and Cranbrook school. Not to mention all of the others. I couldn't justify 50 bucks with a baby on the way and me not really NEEDING this book. A few weeks later I decided to look on Amazon and was able to get it for 9 dollars shipped to my door. That's a no brainer.
Beautiful, beautiful pictures. Worth the price of admission for that alone.