Customer Reviews

Complete Charleston: A Guide to the Architecture, History and Gardens of Charleston

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a must-have book if you have a love affair with the city of Charleston SC. I lived there for 4.5 years, and I still carry this book with me on trips there.

One of the best features about this book is its layout -- it divides the city into the various historic districts and/or sections, and gives you ten walking tours to take. If you'd like a shorter tour, I suggest the French Quarter or Mazyck-Wraggborough; for a good LONG walk, try the Harleston Village trek. It also gives you points where the city trolleys can pick up passengers.

If you're planning to visit Charleston, then get this book! It will make your stay even more enjoyable!

In 1996, while working on a study entitled "Preserving the World's Great Cities: The Destruction and Renewal of the Historic Metropolis," Peg and Truman Moore asked my advice about architectural guidebooks. So I pulled out my favorites from around the world. One year later, "Complete Charleston" was in print: handsomely photographed, thoroughly researched, smartly written, easy to use. Essential.

Now in its third edition, as I lecture across North America, I often refer the Moore's guidebook to local preservation groups in other places. The history of cities is not always apparent-requiring a voice that brings the past to life. "Complete Charleston" accomplishes that task for this singular historic town. And, while fitting comfortably into a jacket pocket, the guide is nonetheless remarkably thorough: identifying every handsome landmark and lovely garden. In this regard, its survey of important African-American monuments is noteworthy. More than any other place I know, Charleston chronicles in its cityscape the story of Black-Americans up and out of slavery. "Complete Charleston" allows a moving tour of that history.

In all, this guidebook makes for a wonderful voyage through a vibrant place, a trip that must be taken by foot because there's so much to see.

I just came back from an architectural conference in Charleston and over half of the attendees had this guide in their back pocket. This is really the only quidebook one needs for a visit to Charleston - and even for newcomers as it is full of history and gets you up to speed on the local issues. Written by passionate preservationists and serious epicures, this book gets to the heart of the matter quickly and puts you right into the Charleston scene with short walking tours and easy to read maps. This is the third and updated edition and is right up to date with easy to locate restaurant and hotel information. I take it with me every time I'm in town.

A little too in-depth for the casual tourist - and we really like old homes and gardens ! Probably great for architecture or Charleston history buffs. Also, most (95%) of the houses listed are private and not open to the public.

"Complete Charleston" is a must-have guide for those many visitors drawn to visiting this history-rich city. The Moore's guide provides an easy-to-use book for those who are adventurous and want to explore a city by walking around and "smelling the flowers." Together, they've compiled a reference to the historical background of many of Charleston's buildings, homes and gardens, which define this beautiful city. Their guide includes side trips, within one day, as well as an all important restaurant guide.
My wife and I agree, if you want to "experience" the ambiance of Charleston, their guide is a must!

I have gone through several copies and editions of this book- I give it to our visitors here in Charleston and know that they will have a wonderful resource for their stay in our beautiful city. The suggested walks are well planned, and the guide is easy to use. The photographs are excellent, too.

The book was extremely informative while visiting Charleston and the surrounding area, including plantations. It made the visit an educational experience. Good book!

The Moore's updated "Complete Charleston" is an invaluable resource for visiting this history-rich city. The updated guide provides an easy-to-use book for those who are adventurous and want to explore a city by walking neighborhoods and "smelling the flowers". Their guide provides the history of many of Charleston's buildings, homes and gardens as well as side trips to other locations within one day of Charleston. The well researched restaurant guide is also a must for those who want to taste Charleston's world famous cuisine .
To "experience" the ambiance of Charleston, their guide is the best!
T & C Power

This guide to architecture, history, gardens and now food, is quite simply the best there is. It is well organized and beautifully written. Truman Moore's superb photographs are not just of pretty facades. but of some of the city's most interesting and little known architectural details. The addition of restaurant reviews makes this edition absolutely essential. Margaret Moore is a sharp critic of good food,but equally sensitive to the ambience of a restaurant. I would go anywhere with them.

I still can't figure out why this book went out of print. This book highlights, in relatively rigorous detail, the very things people come to Charleston to experience: architecture and food.

The architecture section is very well done: It's concise and complete, with enough substance to keep the interest of serious historians without turning off cultural tourists. The food section is somewhat shorter, but it features brief descriptions and reviews of about 20 interesting restaurants in Charleston (as they were in 2005), including some of the very best in town.

The architectural survey is written as a series of walking tours around the historic districts. Although it is really intended to be a foot companion, there are excursions to the surrounding areas, plantations, colonial churches, and to the lovely cities of Georgetown, Beaufort and Savannah, Georgia. Those chapters are relatively short, as the focus is still very much on Charleston city. All chapters are introduced with simple street maps indicating the locations of the discussed landmarks.

There are about 400 well-chosen entries from the enormous Charleston building stock, and each entry comes with a very brief descriptive statement, sometimes a much as a short paragraph. About one out of every four entries includes a small monochrome photograph. There are no large color plates in this book, as it is really written to be more informative than entertaining. The book includes many interesting sidebars on special topics, set within the main text of the book.

The survey includes houses, churches, public and commercial structures. It's really very well done, and much more accessible to most readers than Jon Poston's "Buildings of Charleston."

I hope Ms. Moore will bring us an updated edition sometime soon.