Ove Arup: Masterbuilder of the Twentieth Century (Hardcover)

by Peter Jones (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

In 1946 Ove Arup, a leading engineer of the twentieth century, founded a firm of consulting engineers that brought to fruition such iconic structures as the Sydney Opera House, the Olympic Village in Beijing, London’s Millennium Bridge, the Beaubourg Centre in Paris, the Channel Tunnel Rail Link, and Kansai Airport in Japan among many others. Devoted to a “commonsense” reform of engineering and architectural practice, Arup (1895-1988) pioneered the way for modern architects and engineers to collaborate successfully and responsibly on large projects. This is the first biography of the great and versatile engineer, complete with some 80 historic photographs that have never been published before.
Peter Jones, the first researcher to have full access to the vast private Arup archives, tells the complete story of Ove Arup’s extraordinary life, his social, aesthetic, and environmental concerns, and his practical contributions during a period of political and technological upheaval. Jones also offers a revelatory new account of the Sydney Opera House and the character of those involved in its complex construction.

About the Author

Peter Jones is Emeritus Professor of Philosophy and former director of the Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities, University of Edinburgh. He lives in Edinburgh.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Yale University Press (November 27, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0300112963
• ISBN-13: 978-0300112962
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.4 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #751,873 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Only for the truly devoted, April 26, 2008

By	Dr. G. Wilkie "Grammy" (BRUSSELS, Belgium) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

My expectations were admittedly high because the subject is so fascinating and the stuff of heros. It's hard to think how Arup, the colourful man, and his influential role as master architect of a new post-war approach to the built environment, could be presented in such a dull style. It doesn't quite seem right. The book is hard going and only for the most devoted. Yes there are interesting insights and anecdotes peppered around the book, but the reader has to work hard for any reward. Arup apparently had a reputation for intellectual impatience and never quite finishing his sentences before moving onto another topic. One wonders whether he would ever have finished reading this book, before moving on.

2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Dissapointing!!, November 16, 2007

By	Rodrigo F. E. Souza "RFS" (Rio de Janeiro) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Great man but bad biografy! The writer simply looses the focus on the amount of information he gives. I only read the first chapter and the other two devoted to the opera House, Sadly. I expected much more from this biografy.