Customer Reviews

National Geographic Guide to Americas Great Houses

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have owned this book for a few years now and have loved it.

It lists over 150 of America's greatest homes that are open to the public. It is organized by region of the U.S. For each region, it list the homes by state and supplies a map of the region, marking where each of the houses are. For each house, a one to two page description is given along with in many cases a color photograph on the property. It also lists, the property's address, phone, opening hours, and what facilities are available at the property such as restaurant, gift shop, guided tour, etc. It even lists the site's website so that you can get up to date information regarding opening times and admission fees.

Admittedly, it does not list every home in a area that is historic and open to the public, but it does list a very good starting point. Enough to point you to a place that you would like to visit if you are a architecture or old classic home buff. Once there, you can explore on your own and find the less publicized gems that appeal to you.

I have really used this book. I have planned and completed trips to New Port, Charleston, and the James River area. I am actively planning a trip to the Hudson River Valley because of this book and can't wait to return to New Orleans and Washington DC with this book in hand.

My star ratings:

One star - couldn't finish the book
Two stars - read the book, but did a lot of skipping or scanning. Wouldn't add the book to my permanent collection or search out other books by the author
Three stars - enjoyable read. Wouldn't add the book to my permanent collection. Would judge other books by the author individually.
Four stars - Liked the book. Would keep the book or would look for others by the same author.
Five start - One of my all time favorites. Will get a copy in hardback to keep and will actively search out others by the same author.

I am 10 years old and I got this book as a present from my parents. I am a big huge fan of old things and this was the perfect book for me. If you like historical things like huge houses and fancy dresses this is the book to get. It lists a ton of houses - over 150!! So far we have gone to the biltmore estate (INCREDIBLE!!!!!!!!!!!) and plan on going to the hearst castle and others. I highly recommend this book for great family trips. It also notes important things like websites, phone numbers,gift shops, etc. I love this book!

This is a nice starting point, but very sparse in the way of really giving you an idea of what's worth seeing. Case in point: Louisiana. Oak Alley, an elegant tourist trap, is given play, but why not Laura, which gives a much better, less dumbed-down idea of how people lived at that time. This would be much better if it was divided into regions. Many more historic homes and other unique residences could be highlighted in this way.

I enjoyed reading this book, I found the text quite interesting and the pictures where vivid and well framed. The authors did a commendable job of choosing the houses for the book, many of the mansions are famous, many where not, but all had an interesting story. I was surprised to see how many homes where covered, considering that it is not a large book, you really do get a nice bang for you buck so to speak. If you are someone who just wants a quick synopsis on lots of great American houses then I don't think you will be disappointed in this book, just realize that many homes are covered and as such, not a lot of time can be spent on each home.

I enjoyed the breadth of the book. But, unfortunately, it's a mile wide and an inch deep. The one or two pages dedicated to each site makes it rather difficult to determine whether it's reasonable to travel any distance to any particular property. I would have preferred the book been separated into a dozen volumes, each covering one area, since the book as presented can only be used when augmented with other sources.

Good book! Lots of info and great colored photos. Anyone interested in American architecture and history will enjoy this book. It's helpful to read about a particular house before going to visit it, and it's fun to read about it again after you've seen it. Recommend. Booklady

If you need a guide of historic buildings that are not described in common books of architectural history, buy this book. It works as well as a guide as an introduction to american architectural history. If you are not already an historian this pocket sized book with it's short descriptions and representative pictures will probably greatly extend your interest in american architectural history.

This refrence book is not just for the tourist. The book is divided into four large regions of the country; the west, the heartland, the northeast and the south. In all four regions 156 houses are highlighted and even more briefly noted as local intrests. Every house represented gives a brief history and includes information on entrance fees, available tours, wheelchair accessiblity, restaurants, gift shops and parking. For additional information the book also provides the address and phone number to each location. This full color book has phoographs for almost every house and even includes a few full spread photos. It is great not only if you are planing a trip, but also if you appreciate architecture, history and culture.

We bought this book and have toured three homes so far. We found the book invaluable! It gives fantastic descriptions and points out what grand houses we would like to most visit. At Marble House, we enjoyed the most f.a.b.u.l.o.u.s butter cookies! But Marci (with and 'i') and I are on the Atkins high protein diet and could only have three. We each had one and split the third. D.e.l.i.c.i.o.u.s! Word of caution for those visiting the Biltmore house in Ashville, North Carolina...if you happen to drive a Range Rover and happen to have two Legnanos (hand-made Italian bicycles) on the roof rack (a $650 option on a Range Rover, I'll have you know!:o)), DON'T drive under the grape arbor! Marci was shaking so badly with anger that she dumped grape juice in her lap -- not funny. But within a few miles she was okay and we were able to laugh it off. I swear our premiums went up by $200. After a long trip, it was nice to get back to San Diego. "Elsa", our Range Rover managed to get about 17 miles to the gallon...not bad for a $60,000 SUV! We hope you enjoy this book as much as we do. We're looking forward to writing more reviews as we visit more houses!