American Architecture: An Illustrated Encyclopedia

By Cyril M. Harris

Book Overview

The rich diversity of this country's architecture is reflected in the nearly 200 styles, types, and modes of American architecture that are identified in these pages--more than can be found in any other book. Over 2,500 definitions and nearly 1,000 illustrations describe construction materials and techniques, landscape elements, decorative terms, and practical devices, from precolonial times to the present, and from indigenous dwellings to deconstructivist structures. Wide-ranging and completely accessible, this book is enriched with intriguing historical and biographical treasures. Students of architecture, architectural historians, preservationists, curators, and general readers, whether architecture buffs or simply curious about the world around them, will find it pleasurable, informative, and sometimes surprising.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0393731030
• ISBN13: 9780393731033
• Release Date: January 2003
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
• Length: 384 Pages
• Weight: 1.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 8.0" x 10.0"

Customer Reviews

Simple and Concise

If you are looking for a quick, easy intro to architectural styles, this is a good guide.

The Next Step in Architectural Field Identification

For numerous years, I have been collecting field guides to American Architecture. These guides do a great job of pointing out most of the important architectural features that make up a particular style. However, often times the smaller details of the buildings are not described. This is where Cyril Harris' "American Architecture: An Illustrated Encyclopedia" comes to fill this gap. Most people know what a gable is. But if you want to know the difference between a bell gable, clipped gable, corbiestep gable or cross gable, this is the book for you. To further add value to the book, Harris uses numerous line drawn illustrations to add texture to his definitions. This is a highly recommended book for people who like to read buildings.

needs more graphics

The book is great, but lots of definitions don't have pictures; Some house types had pictures while others did not.