The Annotated Arch: A Crash Course in the History Of Architecture (Volume 2) by Carol Strickland

The Annotated Arch: A Crash Course in the History Of Architecture (Volume 2) Reviews

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  Star

  Before I read this book, I knew nothing about Architecture. Now, I find myself really looking at buildings, seeing things that I would never have noticed before, instead of just taking them for granted, letting my eye pass over them without seeing them. But not anymore. Now I'm able to see which period a building belongs to (or was at least inspired by), see the marvel of how they were built, see how we've adapted and improved - or not, as the case may be - the more we've learned and developed architecture. Frankly, it's amazing. Perhaps, most importantly, I've come to have an appreciation for cities. As a country girl through and through this is major thing. I've always viewed cities as... well, places I don't like. Everything I don't like rolled into one great blot of a mess of buildings. But not anymore. Now, I can understand how the cities came about, the histories behind them, the different periods as a city progresses through time. Now, buildings truly are frozen moments in time to me, where we can learn so much about our past.
  
  
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  Matt

  Great book to learn the basics of the history of architecture.
  
  The book zooms through the history of architecture, from the times of post-and-lintel structures, to deconstructivism, and new urbanism.
  
  Lots of pictures. Good fun to read. The author has wit and an amazing depth of vocabulary.
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  Breeanna Gee

  Good for learning important information about architecture.
  It breaks everything down, and also uses good phrases to help you remember things.
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  Emily

  A brief look at the sheer basics of every major architectural movement throughout history, this brief, but interesting read is a great way to whet your appetite for more.
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  Ruth

  Although the author treats this weighty subject (no pun intended) remarkably well, and the prose is interesting rather than dry, it is still so densely packed with information that I treated it more as a "read in spots, browse through in others" kind of book. The photography is wonderful and inspiring, showing some of the world's most justifiably famous examples of great architecture. Fun to see and gain information about. My favorite part are the pages that showcase multiple architectural styles all on one page, table-style format, so you can see at a glance the similarities and differences between Gothic, Romanesque, or Byzantine styles (for example). Worthwhile.
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  ColleenPA

  I read this book because an SRC task assigned architecture to my birth month. The book claims to be a crash course in architecture, and it is. However, while there are lots of pictures there are not enough diagrams and explanations. The glossary is too small. And the attempts to relate the architecture of the time to social history, while interesting, were not developed enough for my tastes. The book goes well beyond the arch, and it does contain some very good information. I have officially read all I ever want to read about architecture.
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  Ellis

  SUPER basic outline of the history of architecture. Helpful for glossary definitions and diagrams (its cut-away of Amiens Cathedral is reproduced frequently). Not great for a serious student of art history, but good for an intro.
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  Laurie

  This is the book to read if you are curious about architectural styles.
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  Courtney

  As an Art History major, and a former Architectural student, I was skeptical when I found this book required for my study abroad course on French Art and Architecture. Generally, I've found that books attempting to cover basic knowledge on such a broad topic are somewhat lacking. However, after the first chapter or two, I was pleasantly surprised with how much information was packed into this entry level architecture manual and how few instances occurred in which I wanted to edit or add to the content. I would certainly suggest this book for entry level courses or course which only require general knowledge of Architecture.