'The study of architecture opens up the enjoyment of buildings with an appreciation of their purpose, meaning and charm.' These words, from the tenth edition of Banister Fletcher's "A History of Architecture" in 1938, aptly summarise what Banister Fletcher has become for generations of students and architects - an easy-to-use reference book with all the world's major architecture described, explained and, in many cases, fully illustrated.
In this twentieth and centenary edition, chapters have been recast and expanded and a third of the text is new. This unique book places buildings in their social, cultural and historical settings to describe the main patterns of architectural development, from Prehistoric to the International Style.
There are new chapters on the twentieth-century architecture of the Middle East (including Israel) South-east Asia Hong -Kong. Japan and Korea the Indian sub- continent Russia and the Soviet Union Eastern Europe and Latin America. Westem Europe is divided into two chapters and the Americans into three. The books scope has been widened to include more architecture from.non-European countries and coverage of pre-twentieth-century architecture now includes six chapters on Islam. This unique book places buildings in their social. cultural and historical settings to describe the main pattems of architectural development. from Prehistoric to the Intemational Style. Again in the words of Sir Banister Fletcher this book shows that Architecture .provides a key to the habits thoughts and aspirations of title people and without a knowledge of this art the history of any period lacks that human interest with which it should be invested. |
