Cities and People: A Social and Architectural History [Paperback]

Mr. Mark Girouard (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Girouard, author of a dozen well-re ceived books on English architecture, here is concerned with Western cities from the Middle Ages to the present. He aims to show why selected cities grew and developed as they did, with first a potted history of the revival of urban life, then discussions of the great preindustrial cities, and finally a consideration of industry (Manches ter), suburbs (London), and the sky scraper. Although Girouard writes well, his subject is too broad and the treatment too episodic for the book to amount to much, even at an introduc tory level. The author provides exposi tion, but no synthesis. Only for com prehensive collections, or where Girouard's name will create a de mand. Jack Perry Brown, Art Int. of Chicago Libs.
Copyright 1985 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 401 pages
• Publisher: Yale University Press (September 10, 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0300039689
• ISBN-13: 978-0300039689
• Product Dimensions: 10.4 x 8.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #954,958 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Odd Title, Great Book, March 25, 2000

By 

Robert "Sociologist" (Hempstead, Texas, United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cities and People: A Social and Architectural History (Paperback)

Cities and People: A Social and Architectural History is not about cities throughout the world, it does not begin with the start of urbanization thousands of years ago, nor does it examine any one city from its origin to the present. Instead the book is a social-architectural history of European urbanization over the past thousand years. The last century and a half occurs in the U.S. The story never lingers long on any city, but shifts as changes in transportation, manufacturing and commerce alter the leading edge of urban development. What Cities and People does do, it does superbly well. Its large format (8x11) and glossy paper with pictures on nearly every page make this book a pleasure to read and view. The hundreds of reproductions of paintings, drawings, and maps plus numerous pictures of surviving building bring to life the story presented in the text. The focus on building and other structures is not on architecture as such, but on structures as physical manifestations of and clues to urban life, the work and leisure of people. The book enables readers to begin "seeing" the past in surviving landscape features. The author's graceful and confident writing style nicely complements the well-chosen graphics and makes this book a most informative and enjoyable read.