Great Moments in Architecture [Hardcover]

David Macaulay (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 19, 1978

A wonderous portfolio that has to be seen to be savored-or even believed for that matter. Here are the plans for the Tower of Pisa-on a skewed drafting table, the Eiffel Tower tipped over across from the Seine, the ruins of a McDonald's stand following some future Vesuvius, the disastrous meeting of the Great and Lesser Walls of China, and many other gems.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Macaulay surveys architectural follies erected by his own imagination. Macaulay obviously possesses a sense of humor to equal his knowledge and appreciation of the architectural profession." Booklist, ALA

About the Author

David Macaulay is an award-winning author and illustrator whose books have sold millions of copies in the United States alone, and his work has been translated into a dozen languages. Macaulay has garnered numerous awards including the Caldecott Medal and Honor Awards, the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, the Christopher Award, an American Institute of Architects Medal, and the Washington Post-Children's Book Guild Nonfiction Award. In 2006, he was the recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship, given "to encourage people of outstanding talent to pursue their own creative, intellectual, and professional inclinations." Superb design, magnificent illustrations, and clearly presented information distinguish all of his books. David Macaulay lives with his family in Vermont.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Hardcover: 112 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children (April 19, 1978)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0395255007
• ISBN-13: 978-0395255001
• Product Dimensions: 12.4 x 9.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,263,854 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

David Macaulay is an award-winning author and illustrator whose books have sold millions of copies in the United States alone, and his work has been translated into a dozen languages. Macaulay has garnered numerous awards including the Caldecott Medal and Honor Awards, the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, the Christopher Award, an American Institute of Architects Medal, and the Washington Post-Children's Book Guild Nonfiction Award. In 2006, he was the recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship, given "to encourage people of outstanding talent to pursue their own creative, intellectual, and professional inclinations." Superb design, magnificent illustrations, and clearly presented information distinguish all of his books. David Macaulay lives with his family in Vermont.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent tongue-in-cheek Architectural Entertainment, June 3, 1998

By 

David Force ([e-mail]) (Indiana) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Great Moments in Architecture (Paperback)

I always find the author's work entertaining and informative. True, while Great Moments in Architecture is not as factual as some of his works, the sketches are beguiling, and the humor strikes a particularly concordant note with individuals involved in architectural careers.

Buy it and get a good chuckle out of it!

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book; no library should be without it., April 17, 1999

By 

New Grandma (NC USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Great Moments in Architecture (Hardcover)

I came upon this book in my search for history of architecture in general. Though I expected something entirely different, I was immediately caught in the book's charm. The illustrations are clever and their sarcasm unbeatable. A book to look at, time and time again.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars wonderful daydream material, January 10, 2003

By 

Martin Shultz (Houston, TX United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Great Moments in Architecture (Paperback)

This is an excellent book for lazy afternoons devoted to daydreaming. Every illustration is a wonderful "what if...?" scenario depicting an architectural acievement gone awry. Macaulay also has a particular love for dreaming up very peculiar applications of vinyl siding- that part does get a little tedious, but this book is definitely worth a look. When I first looked at this book several years ago, I was too young to get many of the jokes, but I just pulled it out again today- what a great surprise!