Biltmore Estate: The Most Distinguished Private Place [Hardcover]

John Bryan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 15, 1994

In the late 1880s, two supreme talentsarchitect Richard Morris Hunt and landscape architect Frederick Law Olmstedwere brought together by the Vanderbilt fortune. The result was the magnificent Biltmore Estate, explored here in archival and new color photography, sketches, and construction photos that document the entire design, development, and construction.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Rizzoli (September 15, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 084781811X
• ISBN-13: 978-0847818112
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 0.8 x 12.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #355,173 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

57 of 62 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The most interesting book on the creation of Biltmore., April 28, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Biltmore Estate: The Most Distinguished Private Place (Hardcover)

Few people realize what effort it took to design and construct the largest private residence in the United States, but this book details it all from the breaking of the ground to the designing of the curtain rods. This book is one of the best written and most appealing architectural history books ever. The photographs and drawings in it are also to be commended. Many of the pictures offer breathtaking views of the mansion and its grounds as well as showing many vintage photographs taken at various times throughout its construction and times of residence. It also contains many pictures of Richard Morris Hunt's and Frederick Law Olmsted's original drawings and sketches. This book truly lives up to the impressive heritage one finds at the Biltmore. I would also recommend The Vanderbilts and the Gilded Age: Architectural Aspirations 1879-1901, by John Foreman, et al.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good book but not when compared to...., August 11, 2005

By 

Lisa G (Omaha, NE) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Biltmore Estate: The Most Distinguished Private Place (Hardcover)

This book is a very nice book on the background of the Biltmore Estate, however, I think it should have went a little further and included more photos and information of the other rooms. It was interesting to see shots of the blueprint details, such as the front and back elevation, a shot of the first floor plan (albeit very blurry and almost impossible to read without some knowledge of what rooms exist in the space), and details of the exterior. To be honest I found the same information and more surfing the net. The best book I have found is "A Guide to Biltmore Estate" (1994) by Rachel Carley. Beautiful shots of many interior rooms, floorplans of all 4 levels with many of the rooms included (similar to the brochure given to visitors of Biltmore Estate). Overall this book is good (but fast) reading and I would recommend it to Biltmore fans.

16 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Too much black and white?, September 29, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Biltmore Estate: The Most Distinguished Private Place (Hardcover)

I enjoyed the story, don't get me wrong, but as for the pictures, yes it had numerous colors, but mainly black and white. I was surprised. Even pictures that weren't historic were in black and white.

When I purchased this book, I had hoped for a good floorplan of the home, instead I got a little sketch that could hardly be read with a magnifying glass.

Overall, very factual. It makes you realize just what went into the building process. Even if the paragraphs are a little too wordy.