A History of Architecture

Reviews / Votes

Praise for the previous edition: A magnificent guided tour through mankind's architecture....This splendid book is that rara avis, a treat for any reader and a first-rate textbook on the subject. * The New York Times Book Review * Extremely valuable resource which puts architectural history into a larger social, cultural context, and integrates architectural and urban phenomena. * Jon Michael Schwarting, New York Institute of Technology * The best introductory survey of architecture in English! * C.F. Otto, Cornell University * A unique historical and cultural perspective, and an excellent portfolio of illustrations. A concise, engaging text! * Jack Anern, University of Massachussets * Well organized, with a clear logical order and presentation of information. Great graphics. * Edward Dunson, Howard University * [Kostof's] challenging text is ultimately inspiring, richly rewarding, and at times brilliant. This testament to his life will live for decades as a standard textbook. Highly recommended... * School Library Journal * A superb text for introducing graduate students to the world of architecture! * Roger Lewis, University of Maryland * I like the book very much....[I]ts text is very perceptive and interesting. * C.M. Smart, University of Arkansas * Excellent as a basic text. * Jack Williams, Auburn University * Excellent! I am adopting it for the fall and winter quarters. Very thorough and comprehensive! * Robert Wendel, University of Cincinnati * [Kostof] sets the standard for a year-long course of architectural history in a postmodern context. * Joseph Betz, SUNY at Farmingdale * A well documented and careful analysis of architectural history through the ages and across cultural context. * Herman Sands, City University of New York * Great resource! * Ruth Glaze, Mississippi College * Without a doubt, the best history of architecture survey on the market today! Comprehensive, witty and poetically written. I read and reread the text, but, more importantly, my students do the same. * Frederick Vassar, Woodbury University * A welcome update of a seminal work. The additions...make the second edition an even more circumspect view of the world's architecture * to the end of the millennium. * Teaching history of architecture will be impossible again without reference to this book! An outstanding study and one of the most important books written on the topic in our time. * Benjamin Schwarz, University of Missouri * Highly recommended! This second edition greatly enhances the excellent original text. The color plates are a big plus, and the revised and expanded chapters make this text even more valuable. By far the best comprehensive history of world architecture available today. * Humberto Rodriguez-Camilloni, Virginia Tech * I have used the first edition and feel the adoption of color plates will make this even more attractive to undergraduates. The urban approach is very welcome. * Philip Jacks, Yale * A superior text! Excellent collection of photos, illustrations, plans, and elevations. The site drawings are especially useful....[T]he adoption of the post-modernist "Designing the Fin-de-Siecle" is on target. * Joseph Hutchinson, Texas A&M University * The comparative nature of the text has brought excellent input to Architectural History/Theory classes. I find the new 1995 edition to be a much better source for "Modern Architecture", with the additions made to the last part of the book. * Serim Denel, CalPoly State University * Praise for the previous edition: The scope of the book is astonishing....[It is] the most ambitious effort at a comprehensive one-volume treatment of the history of architecture since Talbot Hamlin's Architecture Through the Ages....As a textbook it is a substantial success....[It] pull[s] together the work of a multitude of scholars into a workable synthesis that will be of value to college students who are just becoming acquainted with the area of study....Kostof has achieved a synthesis
of sound scholarship, up-to-date interpretation, and excellent analysis for which he and his publisher are to be congratulated. * Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians * The best one-volume history of western architecture in print, if not the best ever written. Comprehensive, intelligent, well-illustrated * a truly synthetic presentation. * The best available text. * Kevin Harrington, Illinois Institute of Technology * A magnificent guided tour through mankind's architecture....This splendid book is that rara avis, a treat for any reader and a first-rate textbook on the subject. * The New York Times Book Review *