Greek and Roman Architecture in Classic Illustrations

Perhaps the finest record of classical architectural detail ever made. Executed in the demanding technique of India ink and water color rendering, the illustrations include the Parthenon, Roman temples, Pantheon, Coliseum, many others. Unparalleled three-dimensionality and effects of scale. Enhanced with Introductory Notes by John Blatteau and Christiane Sears. Notes. Preface. 127 plates.

This is a great collection of classical Greek and Roman architectural reconstructions from the book - "Fragments d'Architecture Antique" - published by Hector d'Espouy (1854-1929) in 1905. The book presents some of the drawings rendered by participants in the French "Prix de Rome" art and architecture scholarship program which ran from 1663 to 1968.

The printing is not excellent, but very good considering the price. The selections show a true care and attention to detail in bringing these design elements back to life. The ancient world was amazing, in a way that we often ignore today in our modern age of machinery and computer-aided design. Certainly, we're more advanced in many areas. But take a good, long look at what these earlier socieities created out of stone, with simple tools, and you'll be quite impressed.

There is a more expensive book on this subject, published by the J. Paul Getty Museum, entitled "Ruins of Ancient Rome: The Drawings of French Architects Who Won the Prix De Rome 1786-1924" that manages to outdo this one in my opinion. But considering the price difference, this is understandable. In any case, I still enjoy this book, as it presents Greek elements not present in the other. You'll see studies of the Parthenon, the Precinct of Demeter at Eleusis, the Temple of Asclepius at Epidaurus, and so on. You'll also take a brief look outside Greece and Rome to the Mausoleum of Mausolus at Halicarnassus.

Overall, this is an excellent view into the architectural world of the ancients.

Modernism Reborn: Mid-Century American Houses

Thankfully, there is a great resurgence of interest in modern architecture, leading to restorations and hence life being lived anew in modern houses. This book gathers mid-century designs that are austere and simple, use natural materials, and address space as a positive and layers of furniture and trimmings as a negative. Modern houses are comfortable in their juncture of light and open floor plans; they yield timeless designs that remain "modern" 50 to 60 years after the fact when other designs are headed toward being "antique." This well-designed volume is as comfortable and straightforward as the modern houses it celebrates. Quality photographs of each house in its setting, as an interior, and as a tribute to a philosophy join with an informed and useful text that supports but never upstages the designs. As a result, readers get a very nice pairing of the Modern Movement and the houses it built. A good feature: if a house is managed by an historic trust and is open to visitors, its availability and its web site are included. Recommended. David Bryant, New Canaan Lib., CT

Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Atomic Ranch: Design Ideas for Stylish Ranch Homes

Atomic Ranch is an in-depth exploration of post-World War II residential architecture in America. Authors Michelle Gringeri Brown and Jim Brown, founders and publishers of the popular quarterly Atomic Ranch magazine, extol the virtues of the tract, split-level, rambler home and its many unique qualities. Atomic Ranch presents twenty-five homes showcasing inspiring examples of stylish living through beautiful color photographs, including before and after shots, design tip sidebars, and a thorough resource index.

At the close of World War II, during a time when the United States was suffused with optimism about the future, America began a love affair with the ranch house that lasted for the next twenty-five years. From the decidedly modern gable-roofed Joseph Eichler tracts in the San Francisco Bay area and butterfly wing houses in Palm Springs and Sarasota, Florida, to the unassuming brick or stucco L-shaped ranches and split-levels we see every day, midcentury ranches can be found all over the country.

Today there is a growing new enthusiasm for ranch houses and the midcentury furnishings that go with them. Atomic Ranch illustrates in stunning color photography the virtues of the ranch house, often decried as "cookie cutter," and shows why these homes worked so well for their first residents and still function beautifully today. With private front facades, open floor plans, secluded bedroom wings, and walls of glass that bring the outside in, midcentury ranches mix function, comfort, and style with ease. Instead of trying to turn your ranch house into a bungalow, Spanish adobe or two-story Tuscan villa, why not let it be what it was meant to be-a modest one-story house with a casual, comfortable lifestyle.

From updated homes with high-end Italian kitchens, terrazzo floors, and modern furniture to affordable homeowner renovations with eclectic thrift-store furnishings, Atomic Ranch presents plenty of inspiring examples of stylish living in America's favorite house.