A History of American Architecture: Buildings in Their Cultural and Technological Context [Hardcover]

Mark Gelernter (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 1999

A richly illustrated history of American architecture that explains why particular architectural ideas occurred when and where they did.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Gelernter (Univ. of Colorado, Denver) adds to the constellation of concise histories of American architecture while trying to refrain "from a traditional form of architectural writing that stressed connoisseurship." He is more successful with cultural than technological context. Throughout, he stresses European precedents, though the illustrations are not always well placed for optimal comparison. There are several refreshing and original inclusions of more vernacular examples as illustrations of the broad influence of styles. But despite Gelernter's argument in their favor, his illustrations are perhaps the book's greatest liability. Sometimes, as with the Monadnock Building, the author overlooks the key technological significance of the building. Although his summaries are at times substantive, Gelernter's expression of them can be less than elegant. His work does not eclipse the central position of Leland Roth's A Concise History of American Architecture (1979) or Vincent Scully's American Architecture and Urbanism (1969), both of which exhibit more polished writing, more thorough analysis, and more expansive thinking.APaul Glassman, New York Sch. of Interior Design Lib.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"A complete history of American architecture would fill a bookcase, but one can gain a strong understanding of this fascinating and challenging subject from this excellent survey." --APT Bulletin: The Journal of Preservation Technology

"Here is a comprehensive work for undergraduates containing more history and ideas than most. Gelernter offers crisp line drawings among the 289 illustrations . . . Ideology and history surrounding American buildings is included throughout, as are useful reviews of history from the ancient Greeks up through American settlement . . . effective coverage of most American architecture and the ideas that shaped it."--Choice

"Gelernter covers a broad range of intellectual as well as architectural history."--Boston Book Review --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 368 pages
• Publisher: UPNE (August 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0874519403
• ISBN-13: 978-0874519402
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 7.7 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,571,231 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great overview of architectural history, March 6, 2009

By 

C. Vincent (United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A History of American Architecture: Buildings in Their Cultural and Technological Context (Paperback)

I picked up this book at the library as a refresher on history while studying for the Architect's Registration Exam. It covers so much European architecture too that it exceeded my expectations. Much easier to read over a few days than the usual textbooks like Trachtenberg's, and I'm doing very well on history-related practice questions now. The choices of buildings covered in this book are great and there are city plans and floor plans. Starting each chapter with an analysis of the culture and philosophy of the era made me really understand how architectural styles developed and keeps everything in order in my memory.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A clearly written interesting history., March 8, 2007

By 

Norm Enervie (Andover, Mass.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A History of American Architecture: Buildings in Their Cultural and Technological Context (Paperback)

This is easy reading with appropos illustrations. Just the right amount of detail for the traveller who is interested in architecture.

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Context is everything, April 18, 2000

By 

Barbara Ruland (La Mesa, Ca USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A History of American Architecture: Buildings in Their Cultural and Technological Context (Hardcover)

I found Mr. Gelernter's book in the public library as I was researching a project. After reading it, I thought it was so useful that I decided to buy it for my own library.

Many art and architecture books are just recitations of dry facts, dates and theories, with no historical or sociological context. Not so Gelernter's "A History of American Architecture."

The correlation of buildings with their context, and the inclusion of early Native American architecture, make this a thought provoking introduction to the history of architecture in America.