From Library Journal
Combining two popular subjects-architecture and the Caribbean-this book would seem to attract a healthy audience. But Crain's attempt at a panoramic study of a wildly diverse area is only partially successful. Until now, there have been books about the architecture of specific islands (Historic Buildings of St. Thomas and St. John, Macmillan, 1987) but never a fully illustrated work on the historic architecture of the entire Caribbean. However, what Crain gains in illustration he loses in text. Only a few representative examples are covered on each island, sometimes solely those from the major town and none built after World War II. Chapters are not organized by location but by building type, and within chapters islands are grouped by European power, e.g., English islands, Spanish island, etc. This arrangement won't work for everyone, since a reader interested in the architecture of St. Kitts must piece together information from at least seven chapters. Recommended only for general collections with little else on the subject.
Daniel J. Lombardo, Jones Lib., Amherst, Mass.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Daniel J. Lombardo, Jones Lib., Amherst, Mass.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
