Customer Reviews

Under Live Oaks: The Last Great Houses of the Old South

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

 

 

Both author and photographer of "Under Live Oaks" are English, and their knowledge of the South is distinctly secondhand and second-rate. Seebohm even acknowledges needing a crash course in Southern architecture from a friend! Instead of genuine knowledge and insight, we are offered a gauzy gothic cocktail of Hollywood cliches. (Mix one shot of "Gone With the Wind" with a dash of "Suddenly Last Summer" and a gallon of "Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte.") For a beautiful and intelligent book on Southern architecture, try "Architecture of the Old South" by Mills Lane. For photos that shed some light on Southern myths and realities, try "William Eggleston's Guide."

I question the authors intentions in writing this book. It appears to be a personal scrapbook of travels that have little relevance to the general reader. It is as if the photographer took a lot of pictures and then needed a framework through which to get them published.

Initially, the title is misleading. The fourteen homes described in the book are neither the "last" homes in the South and arguably not the "greatest".

The brush the authors used to create this book was so broad that there did not seem to be any continuity. A couple of homes from each of the southern states is not thorough enough coverage to leave any lasting impression. It also did not seem to be a functional guide to the traveller (my purpose in making the purchase) as the venue was so broad.

Admittedly, it is difficult to get good photos of interior rooms and some exterior angles of homes. The photo collection in this book, however, did not seem to make a studied attempt at addressing the architecture of the homes and was diluted with folksy shots of knick knacks, dolls, etc.- who cares?

The text was also shallow. A small amount was written about the geography, environs, and the structure of the homes. Then each chapter became a mini history of the owners, most of whom have little interest to the general population. I learned nothing of architecture and design and cared little for the people mentioned. As a result, this book is too thin in content to be important from an architectural standpoint, a cultural standpoint, a biographical standpoint, or a design standpoint.

Why then did I give it three stars? I did learn that the grand architectural era of the deep south spanned a very short historical period (approximately fifty years). I also got some sense of the deep relationship of planter families to the land and its heritage. It's also a pretty and nice to have laying around. Furthermore, it takes little time to skim so has the potential as a re-gift or re-sale.

If you like old houses of the South this book has some wonderful pictures. Some interesting photos of the interior rooms with a little bit of personal collections of the families. A great coffe table book. Not deep reading.

I own a 120 year old farmhouse in the South and I am fascinated w/ the history and culture. This book is a JOY! I LOVE reading about the families in the book, the photos are GORGOUS and I have been unable to put this book down! Of all the 'Home' books I've read this is by far my absolute favorite! ENJOY!!!