Customer Reviews

Buffalo, Good Neighbors, Great Architecture (Making of America: New York)

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The author is a forceful, defensive supporter of Buffalo. So much so that the book starts with a strange outline of Buffalo weather without the mention of how much snow they get. This introduction begins the determination to never mention another negative thing about Buffalo. I do not blame Buffalo for President McKinley's death but the author sure is worried that the reader will unfairly make that assessment.

The history is well supported with quotes and detailed sources. The mention of architecture is thin and sprinkled throughout the historical text. Beyond the mention of the year built and the name of the architect there is little more. Occasionally a building style is mentioned but not defined or explained. The commercial Sullivan and Wright buildings are said to be the best examaples of their work without explaining why or giving a source for this statement. The author just makes the claims of being the best without really having any idea why that might (or might not) be true. Wright's Martin house is said to be the third best example of his residential style without saying what the first two are or why it might hold that distinction. The bibliography does not include even one architectural source. The architectural information is thin at best in this book and should not have been included in the title.

Very few pictures in this book and none of the Olmsted parks or Wright buildings. Not even that many of the great Richardson buildings (only the hospital). The pictures are in a small section in the middle and hard to match up with any related text. Strange organization.

This book is an ernest history of Buffalo with a chip on its shoulder. The many tiny defenses or perceived shortcomings do get a bit old. Do not buy this book to further your architectural understanding of Buffalo because there is no depth to or support of that information.