Customer Reviews

Master Builders: Le Corbusier, Mies van der Rohe, and Frank Lloyd Wright (The Norton Library)

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This book seeks to profile three architects of worldwide influence, each of whom has profoundly influenced the built environment we experience today. It provides rich glimpses into the architectural environment of the early 20th century, and tells a compelling tale of three architects who each shook off the vine-covered frippery of art nouveau in their own way. It's a good book, but upon re-reading it last year, the author's clear bias towards (almost hero-worship of) Le Corbusier came through much more strongly than when I was a neophyte in college. The book paints Mies Van der Rohe as a cold German technocrat with a talent only for efficiency; Frank Lloyd Wright as a pure iconoclast and egomaniac whose vision was so ideosyncratic that it had only limited influence; and Le Corbusier as a genre-defying revolutionary hero who singlehandedly rescued and reinvented architecture as art. In my opinion, at least, each of these judgments are almost entirely wrong. Even if you kind of agree with Blake's pantheon, the hagiography of Corbu gets a bit embarrasing in places. A great book for the history and context, but I would certainly hope that this book wouldn't be the last thing you read about any of these men.

Maybe the only book that attempts to compare (rather...state) the big 3. However I think that it degenerates to being a history book that just states facts that are already available in any monograph on each. There is less commentary and more facts. I guess it is a biggeners book to understand who these men were and what projects they did in their lifetime. The only good thing is that this seems to be the only place where you can read about them as a kind of a time-line.....realizing how each one affected the other.

I wish there was a more discussion and comparison/differentiation of the kind of space that these 3 were talking about and a more indepth analysis of their ideologies. Guess we have to wait for someone else to take that risky venture.

For those interested in the development of American architecture, this is an excellent source. It spans the works of the 3 great architects who laid down the guiding principles for modern architecture in the United States and shows the evolution of each. Many of their beautiful works are pictured and described by the author, a former architecture school dean. The principles involved and aesthetic qualities are elaborated. It gives an appreciation of how many current architectural styles evolved and also comments briefly on some of the failings of today. It also traces the interplay between artistic movements - Art Noveau, Cubism, Impressionism, de Stijl - and architecture.

The book is well written, highly literary and frequently humorous. It is enjoyable and educational for anyone with an interest in contemporary architecture and the artistic geniuses who created it as it came about in the United States thru the 20th century.

This book by Peter Blake is very good if you are just beginning to know about these three iconic architects. It has everything someone who is not an architect could need to know who Le Corbusier, Mies van der Rohe and Frank Lloyd Wright were. If you want to go deep into the career of these architects, study their lives and works, this is a first step, and a very good one, but only that.

It is well written, entertaining and true. As a teacher, I would recommend it to architecture students as mandatory reading, best if read in the second or third year of their college years.

Even as it is a basic book, I have it on my night table.

A wonderfully written and concise insight into the lives and careers of three of the greatest modern architects of our time. Blake, an architect himself, is more than qualified to give us accounts on each of these fascinating characters. An entertaining and insightful read for anyone who has limited knowledge of architecture and wants an introduction to the great `masters' of the 20th Century.

If you are looking for a book that clearly articulates the style and influences of the major early 20th century architects, this is the book for you. Great for students who need to review stylistic characteristics succinctly for college courses as well as architectural enthusiasts. This book clearly set in context how the personalities of Corbusier, Mies, and Wright and their cultural backgrounds influenced their architectural style. If you need to own one book about these architects, this is it!

An absolutely wonderful read! These men were/are fascinating. Corbu, Mies, and Wright make quite a trio--it is interesting how their lives and works intertwined. They created our world--and that's a fantastic realization! Is "less" really "more"? Find out here!

This book offers a great way to understand 3 of the most amazing men in Architectural history. This book is hard to put down once started. This book is great for anyone who enjoys Architecture as a hobby, and is extremely resourceful for anyone who studies Architecture at a college level. This book in my opinion is a must have.

This book provides the reader not only with deep insight into these three great pillars of the 20th century, but also helps one understand their influence on art as well. One can see the bridge between their buildings and artists like Braque, Rothko, and those associated with De Stijl. I think it is a fine book for those who may not be familiar with these three men. It is highly readable and recommended!