Trevor Howells

This gorgeously illustrated books acquaints readers with, as it is subtitled, “masterpieces of architecture and engineering.” In an introduction, one of the editors, Trevor Howells, writes: “Of all the arts, none is more fundamental to the way we live than architecture. It is a mirror of our own time and of times gone by, a diary written in mud and timber, in brick and stone, in iron and steel, in concrete and glass.” For a building to be great, Howells maintains, it must capture the Zeitgeist - the spirit of its time.

The greatest buildings synthesize form and function, show harmony and proportion, and use the technology of their time to the best advantage. Different editors explore how this was accomplished in places of worship; castles, palaces, and forts; centers of power; designs for living; learning and leisure; transport and communications; and monuments and memorials. For each building, color plates and drawings are accompanied by “fast facts” as well as a narrative describing when and how the building was built and what it was used for over time.

For those who are not able to marvel in person at the Parthenon, Hagia Sophia, the Chartres Cathedral, Hadrian’s Villa, the Castle of Neuschwanstein, Beijing’s Forbidden City, Machu Picchu, and the Brooklyn Bridge, to name but a few of the wonders covered, this book is the next best thing. The book covers only 100 structures, so some favorites may have been be omitted, but it is still an invaluable resource. It is not only informative, but a delight to the eye and mind.… (meer)