A History of Western Architecture

Some 7000 years of architectural history and highlights are summarized in this classic survey, which serves equally well as a reference work and a college textbook for introductory architectural history courses. The current edition, updated from 2000, includes new material and illustrations on ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia and touches on early 21st-century flagship buildings and globalization. Watkin (history of architecture, Univ. of Cambridge) captures with a fine economy architecture's successive revivals and historical legacies. Given the book's scope, coverage is mostly confined to acknowledged masterpieces and trendsetters. While classics such as the Parthenon (three pages) and Chartres Cathedral (two pages) receive the most attention, only 25 buildings in New York and 15 in Chicago are mentioned, often in passing. Almost 1000 photographs (50 full-page, color) illustrate buildings, interiors, and styles. A glossary, a (somewhat dated) chapter-by-chapter "for further reading" list, and a detailed index conclude the work. In anticipation of reference consultation, libraries may elect to bind this sturdy paperback.