The Seventy Wonders of the Modern World [Hardcover]

Neil Parkyn (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 2002

The modern world's greatest structures capture the imagination and inspire wonder, whether they are places of worship, palaces of power or pleasure, skyscrapers, bridges, tunnels, canals, dams or colossal statues. In this volume, an international team of architectures, engineers and architectural historians chart the progress of human ingenuity and creativity in erecting buildings, from AD500 to the 21st century.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Adult/High School-A beautifully executed, well-organized work. Accompanied by good (mostly color) photos with explanatory captions, the text relates lots of facts: when a structure was built and why; its construction history; politics, if any; and basic statistics such as dimensions, etc. The information is condensed into two to four pages of interesting writing and illustrations per project. Sites are arranged by category: churches, mosques, temples, and shrines; palaces and castles (ranging from the Forbidden City to Hearst's Castle); public and state buildings; towers and skyscrapers; bridges, railways, and tunnels; canals and dams; and colossal statues. The piece on the World Trade Center includes informed speculation on the reason for its collapse. Useful for history, civilization, architecture, engineering, and physics classes as well as for general readers.
Judy McAloon, Potomac Library, Prince William County, VA
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

This companion volume to The Seventy Wonders of the Ancient World and The Seventy Great Mysteries of the Ancient World examines well-known structures worldwide. Although the book is subtitled "1500 Years of Extraordinary Feats of Engineering and Construction," most of the featured "wonders" date from the second half of the 20th century. The selections are divided into seven categories: churches, palaces, public buildings, towers and skyscrapers, bridges and railways, canals and dams, and statues. Each entry includes basic information on history, structural and engineering details, innovations, aesthetics, and a sidebar "factfile." Written by 28 architects, engineers, and historians, primarily from the United States, Britain, and Australia, the book is intended for general readers. The photos and diagrams that complement the text are uniformly excellent. A more sophisticated, broader, but more expensive choice in the "building wonders" category is Donald Langmead and Christine Garnaut's Encyclopedia of Architectural and Engineering Feats. Suitable for school, public, and basic academic collections.
Russell T. Clement, Northwestern Univ. Lib., Evanston, IL
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Thames & Hudson (November 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0500510474
• ISBN-13: 978-0500510476
• Product Dimensions: 10.5 x 8.3 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #957,047 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fascinating look at man's engineering accomplishments., August 30, 2004

By 

M. E. Volmar - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Seventy Wonders of the Modern World (Hardcover)

This well organized, informative and concise volume offers a clearly written collection of essays on the complete history of seventy of the world's greatest engineering and construction achievements from the year 1500 A. D. to the present.
Each structure is carefully detailed in a well-researched, short entry of two to four pages long. Basic facts like who built it, where, when and why are covered, and additional information is also provided like its basic statistics, the politics associated with its construction, accounts of the project's development and other fascinating data. Moreover, for quick check-ups, each wonder is accurately placed in one of the seven categories into which the book is divided: Churches, Mosques, Temples & Shrines; Palaces & Castles; Public & State Buildings; Towers & Skyscrapers; Bridges, Railways & Tunnels; Canals & Dams; and Colossal Statues.
This reference is handsomely presented in a sturdy binding, printed in top-quality paper, and beautifully illustrated with over 350 spectacular photos, explanatory diagrams, magnificent reconstructions and historical drawings.
Featured among the showcased selection are The Statue of Liberty, The Panama Canal, The Eiffel Tower, The Taj Mahal, and The Forbidden City, and the rest of the masterpieces included are equal testimony of man's unending imagination and its application beyond mere aesthetic power, structural virtuosity or plain utility.
As a bonus, the book includes an introduction that explains the criteria used to pick the selected structures. A comprehensive bibliography especially useful for further research and a thorough index, for specific consultations, are also included.
This is a fact-filled compendium that readers of all ages will undoubtedly refer to again and again.
--Reviewed by M. E. Volmar

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting and fascinating, September 1, 2005

By 

James Brackenridge (Santiago, Chile) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Seventy Wonders of the Modern World (Hardcover)

The detailed information, with dimensions and plans included, along with magnificent photography make it a must, both for reference and normal reading purposes.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Got me through Survey of Architecture class, April 6, 2006

By 

J.J. "J.J." (East Coast) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Seventy Wonders of the Modern World (Hardcover)

This book was a HUGE resource for me for my survey of architecture class. Combined with The Seventy Wonders of the Ancient World provided me with enough information to ace the class. Strongly recommended.