Customer Reviews

Frank Lloyd Wright in Arizona

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This is a steamlined re-telling of the Frank Lloyd Wright in Arizona story. But there is little detail beyond the Arizona Biltmore and Taliesin West. There are some nice late afternoon photos of T-West, but few of any other houses. The freshest images are of the recently constructed Arizona Capitol spire and an Apprentice shelter. Lawrence Cheek seems to have more distance than many FLlW book authors. The most interesting text is the last few pages of commentary on the FLlW franchise since Mr. Wright's death and in particular recent changes with Taliesin Architects and the FLlW Foundation.

For the Arizona houses I would still recommend Storrer or FLlW's Western Work.

I purchased this book despite the negative reviews.

I must agree though. The book gives short shrift to most of Wright's buildings in Arizona. I had been hoping for more on the elusive Harold Price, Sr. home.

Particularly egregious however is that the author refers to Brendan Gill as Wright's preeminent biographer (page 33). This is laughable. Gill's book would be about the bottom of any credible list of accurate, informative books on Wright. Gill had an ax to grind, which tarnishes every page and skewers every viewpoint. That the author ADMIRES Gill's book is a cautionary warning.

I don't find the significant design of FLW in Arizona. I think Taliesen will be his significant design, and the significant of Taliesen in Arizona, is the site plan. But, I don't find them in this book.

it wasn't as in depth as I had hoped, it isn't organized into sections about his individual buildings. I had wanted to use it to study on on his work before visiting Phoenix, but I found a guidebook that far more hepful. It's sort of a run on and mentions aspects of the Arizona projects, but doesn't back it up with enough photos, and the ones it has don't give a clear view of the overall building. The photos it does have are very nice though.

A nice review of some of his works in AZ, though like most books of this type too much time is spent on the well known subjects and less on the more interesting stuff.