While my specialty is pre-1940 estates and mansions, this book works for me because the author does a credible job in showing the DNA that links the old with the newer. As in all Yale U Press books, the production quality is very high and the scholarship is strong. The bibliography (one of the main things I examine in works like this) is extensive. If you collect books on this subject then this should be one. If you are a beginner in this field then this is as good as any to start.
See my other reviews on books of this subject for hints.






