Book Description
The guide that enables you to identify, and place in their historic and architectural contexts, the houses you see in your neighborhood or in your travels across America. 17th century to the present.
Customer Reviews:
Great Resource.......2007-09-30
Great book!!! I'm using for my company to get a true representation of many styles for many of the house I'm designing. A great resource for any firm!!!
great book for the housing history.......2007-09-10
great at housing history
great describe for the house component
good picture to show handy book to show at real estate
Get out your "readers!".......2007-07-27
A good "bible" type book for house lovers (buyers, sellers, architects, Realtors, etc.) However, the print is itty bitty, so be sure to have a magnifying glass or some readers handy. There is a lot of information and many black and white photographs along with intricate drawings. It almost feels like a college textbook (good thing it's a paperback!). Good reference book.
A very useful book .......2007-05-06
This book has been one of the most fascinating and useful books I have read. It is laid out in an easy-to-use manner, and is packed full of information that is useful for an amatuer old-house lover, or as a reference for a professional. It follows the history and evolution of homebuilding consecutively from pre-1600's-current (the book was published in 1984, so it is lacking the last 20 years, though). Each style of house or time period has it's own chapter, which goes into depth detailing the features that are unique to and commonly found in that style. It also includes many pictures displaying these features.
The first few chapters of the book introduce you to the basics of house form, structure, and style, and provide a wealth of information on how to look at a house and identify it using key features. It literally is a field guide! I have learned so much about the way a house is constructed, how house layouts have evolved through the years, and learned the names and meanings of all the different parts of a house. It has been fascinating. My husband and I met with a home builder last week, and I was able to comfortably converse with him and understand everything he said because of having read this book recently!
I can't begin to describe all that this book contains. Highly recommended!
A Field Guide to American Houses.......2007-03-12
I've actually purchased two of this book, one as a gift. It is a 'coffee table' book that will actually get used. It is a great reference book and an interesting book to spend some time with. The explanatory illustrations are exceptional, and the photographic examples provide more than just an example. Looking at these photographs you can travel back in time and different periods of American history. Some of the houses are abandoned and run down which in no way lessens the impact of their design and grandeur.
Early in the book, most houses are named and the location given. However, the newer houses toward the back are not so identified. This is not a problem as much as it is a disappointment.
Book Description
American Houses is a historical guide to the architecture of the American home. While other architectural field guides show only faades, this book includes floor plans, showing how the form of a house arises from its function. Photographs and drawings of exteriors illustrate the significant field marks of each style and help pinpoint the key elements that can identify a house even when it has been remodeled beyond recognition. Beautifully illustrated, clearly written, and impeccably researched, American Houses is an essential reference for anyone interested in the history of American residential architecture.
Customer Reviews:
Great Book.......2005-08-19
If you own an older home, then this book is a must. Lots of valuable information.
A Field Guide with Little Imagination.......2005-08-09
There is a great tradition in the United States of Field Guides to American Domestic Architecture. Almost all of the Guides break down into two camps. The first group are the Guides that illustrate architectural styles through the use of photographs. The second group of Guides show styles through the use of black and white line drawings. Of the two camps, I prefer line drawings because they allow the reader to focus on the mulitple architectural details that come together to form an architectural style.
Gerald Foster's "American Houses" is a good example of the line drawing style of Field Guide. Gerald Foster is a competent artist in what I call the illustrator school of architectural drawings. He took highly detailed drawings from the Historic Architectural Building Survey (HABS)and rotated the drawings so as to center on a corner view. Hovering below the corner view is a representative floor plan.
The drawings are competent and pleasant to look at but where Foster falls short in my estimation is the sheer repetive nature of his drawings. Almost all of the drawings are from this same corner view and after a while the view becomes monotonous. A more imaginative artist would have shown buildings from different angles. A good artist can bend static buildings and provide new insights into their construction.
The drawings are competent and George Foster has done enough homework in order to do a good job of describing the different styles. Its a good Guide and if this is your fist Field Guide, you will be very happy with it. However, there are better examples of Architectural Field Guides. For this line drawing style of Field Guide, I would recommend Lester Walker's "American Home" and "The Visual Dictionary to American Architecture." The illustrations in these books are both more exciting and educational.
A wonderfully entertaining read.......2004-08-21
This book is a great overview of American architecture. It is entertaining for the non-architect but full of detail and histry for those who already have a lot of knowledge of the subject matter. Foster has obviously spent considerable time and energy researching his material. The floorplans are informative and help the reader to visualize a certain style and to understand the practical forces that shaped each architectural style. A must read for anyone with an interest in American architectural history!
"Related" Topics.......2004-08-14
Brilliantly researched, "Gerry" Foster manages to build the houses he describes in our minds through his illustrative diction and syntax. With its diagrams and managable set up, this book is a treat for all those who aspire to understand what goes into the frame work of an American home. For those who have read Foster's Field Guide to Trains, I assure you will agree with me when I say that I look forward to more works by this highly talented painter, architect, author, and father. I had the pleasure of recently meeting with his daughter, Shelby Foster, who only confirmed my belief in her father's intelligence, as she was able, eager, and willing to discuss the behind the pages research that went in to this wonderful read. We, the readers, can only hope that her upcoming novel contains as much information seamlessly weaved with a powerful narrative voice as her father's works. In all, a must read for any student, formal or unformal, of modern day American homes, and their history.
An artist's perspective.......2004-04-09
The author is the illustrator as well, and his pen and ink renditions are museum worthy. As an artist, and not an academic, his approach is informal and slightly irreverent.
The book's emphasis is on the Colonial era, whose styles he divides into New England, Hudson River, Mid-Atlantic, Chesapeake, Southern, French and Spanish. He then sums up the 19th century styles, predominantly Greek Revival, Italianate, Queen Anne and other late Victorian styles, and ends with the Colonial Revival, Bungalow, and Prairie styles (originated in Illinois, the Prairie State).
He points out some styles were revived exclusively for the mansions of the turn-of-the-century industrial barons. He has not much to say about more recent houses, only mentioning the International Style, but overall it is still a good book.
Amazon.com
W. Haden Blackman itemizes over 100 haunted sites and their resident specters, focusing on haunted houses, haunted vessels, haunted cemeteries, and haunted sites in nature--from the Hotel del Coronado in San Diego (where Kate Morgan, killed on Thanksgiving Day in 1892, now appears in a black lace dress and makes strange choking noises) to Franklin's Haunted Orchard (where a foreign-born peddler was killed and buried under an apple tree in 1759, and where apple trees have continued to this day to produce blood-stained blossoms and blood-streaked apple pulp).
Blackman intends his guide, however, to be more than just another ghoulish anthology. If you want to find and interact safely with ghosts, you need to know where to go, what to look for, and how benign the ghosts are. For each site, along with a full narrative and supernatural history, Blackman includes its address and whereabouts, the number of ghostly residents, their identities, and the type of ghostly activities that have been observed. He tells what their demeanors are (their personalities; propensities for mischief, violence, or both; and attitudes toward the living), and the likelihood of encountering the spirit or ghostly phenomenon while visiting. A chapter on ghost hunting provides worthwhile tips for anyone wishing to avoid, cope with, or encounter a spectral presence, and the appendices--with sample questionnaires for ghost witnesses, sample questionnaires for ghosts, a glossary, and listings by state and province--round out the practical nature of Blackman's guide. But even if you haven't the slightest interest in searching out ghost haunts, the book is worth it for the sensational stories alone. --Stephanie Gold
Book Description
From headless phantoms and screaming specters to invisible poltergeists and disembodied voices, ghosts occupy our homes, infest cemeteries and graveyards, lurk in nearby caves and forests, and even wander city streets. However, despite the wealth of sightings, aspiring ghost hunters have few resources.
Now, for the first time, here is a fully functioning field guide for those courageous investigators who wish to observe and interact with supernatural beings and the spirit world. Drawn from all available evidence, including recent research and sightings, modern urban legends, and Native American mythology and North American folklore, this book describes in detail over 100 haunted sites and their resident specters.
Brimming with useful advice and practical tips for the ghost hunter,
The Field Guide to North American Hauntings provides vital information for those seeking to encounter ghosts. Whether exploring the lonely cells of Alcatraz or the desolate stretch of road known as Route 666, or searching for specters at the White House, ghost hunters will always be prepared with
The Field Guide to North American Hauntings.
Customer Reviews:
Dissapointing! No scary stories here..........2007-09-24
More historical and folklorish than actually about "hauntings". Worth a read but not for much money! Check it out at the library, save your money, you'll be more satisfied. Being native american and LOVING ghost stories, I had high hopes that I could connect with this book . NAW. I was very dissapointed!
A fun book.......2006-05-22
Field Guide to North American Hauntings is a fun book. Whether you believe in ghosts or not, the stories are good old fashioned fun folklore. The author's style affects to be that found in nature "field guides." He indicates the type of "animal," its "habitat," its distinguishing characteristics, and it's habits, the likelihood of encountering the "specimen"and the danger such an "animal" might pose the serious observer.
Some of the stories are well known to anyone who enjoys this kind of book, particularly the haunts of Black Beard, the Bell Witch, Amityville house, the Winchester mystery house, and Resurrection Mary . In fact, there are more and better tales out there about these particular hauntings. Each retelling makes the character of the ghost and its sightings more entertaining. Whole TV shows have been made featuring them, so even those who don't read the common literature on the topic will know something about them if they watch TV at all.
It's difficult to determine the author's own stand on the paranormal. There were times when I could have sworn he wrote with a definite tongue-in-cheek. Some of what he said was actually very comical if taken from a more skeptical frame of mind. Some of it was truly priceless. The credulousity of the spook hunter has to be overwhelming when some of the cautions the author provides are expected to be taken seriously, so it was difficult to believe that he "believed."
Whether the author is a skeptic or a believer, he does offer some very good advice to the perspective ghost hunter. "Be polite," being the most important. "Ask permission," being coequal. Since some of these haunted sites are on private property, the ghost hunter would be well advised to ask permission or risk breaking and entering charges. The ghost may or may not be tangible, but the fine or imprisonment will be! Also, not everyone who lives in or on reputedly haunted property actually believes any of the stories, and turning away prospective investigators at ones door at all times of the day or night may well be considered a great pain rather than a great opportunity. There are plenty of public venues that have had reported sightings, so I'd leave the haunted house to its owners unless invited to do otherwise.
Where there are public sites, many are historic in nature, celebrating--or commemorating--national or local events. If there is a fee of admission charged, as the author urges, pay it. These public sites are usually restored and maintained by what they earn in admissions fees, and while your interest may not be in the historic intent of the monument, that of others is. Furthermore, before rendering your opinions on the paranormal value of a site like Gettysburg, remember that a serious historian--academic or enthusiast-- can be every bit as intense about their passion as any would be ghost hunter about theirs, and that they can take considerably greater exception to having their pet monument visited by a lot of "hocus pocus" then the most irate ghost ever considered!
Some of the venues, like the Bird Cage in Tombstone and some of the hotels and inns mentioned here and in other books, actually capitalize on the public notoriety arising from their propriatery haunt,and these are probably the sites to visit for those with a psychic tourist orientation. Your interest is in their best interest, so you will be bothering no one and your interests and needs are more likely to be welcomed and encouraged.
The author also gives some very sound advice with respect to validating a haunting. Much of what he says in the section on this subject is very cogent, because what might be mistaken as a paranormal phenomenon is almost always going to turn out to be something among his list of likely physical causes.
A fun book, well conceived.
F-U-N.......2005-11-23
I have to say, sometimes unintentional humor is the best sort. A pretty good book that covers its subject and maybe takes a few things too seriously (or does a fine job pretending to). Discusses a multitude of supposed haunted sites, and tells all there is to know about some famous ghosts. Will probably appeal to almost anyone, as we all like a good stomp across the supernatural.
Absolutely Hilarious!.......2004-02-26
Absolutely hilarious.
For example, from "Appendix B: Sample Questionnaire for Ghosts"
Are you frequently tired, weak or cold?
Have you ever walked through a wall by accident or felt invisible? Does this seem strange to you?
What do you like least about being a ghost?
. . . and for those spirits unaware of their state of existence . . .
I believe that you are a ghost. How does that make you feel?
Can you prove that you are alive?
Priceless.
Good Reading for an Average Ten Year Old.......2003-07-16
Remember that episode from the old Dick Van Dyke show where the comedy team gets together to persuade Rob to do ridiculous things over the phone? They finally push Rob too far when they tell him to scream like a chicken. The jig is up, as they say when Rob finally "gets it" and says, "Hey, you guys....wait a minute!" The laugh track roars. Everyone confesses and Rob has egg on his face because he was suckered right along for most of the episode. That's the feeling one gets after reading the first ten pages of this book and encountering such classic bits as:
"As with the Hull House, you can search for ghosts at the Lalaurie site from outside: simply stand in the shadow of the building and listen intently for screams of any kind."
"Do not chase the Palatine Light or follow it out to sea, as many oceanic ghost lights have a tendency to lead the curious to their deaths."
"Any phantom missing any part of its anatomy is potentially dangerous, largely because these ghosts are extremely preoccupied with regaining whatever it is that they have lost."
If you think you have a ghost in your house, the author suggests:
"Give the ghost a room. Set aside a portion of the house specifically for use as the ghost's private quarters..."
"Set Limits. Let the ghost know what you will or will not tolerate...."
"Include the ghost during family functions... On holidays...have a little gift for the spirit..."
And don't forget to scream like a chicken! Yes, these comprise just a sampling of Blackman's avuncular dolings out for anyone dense enough to take them seriously. Moreover, if you encounter a ghost, the author suggests some things you might want to ask it, like:
" What do you enjoy most about being a ghost?"
"Have you ever attacked anyone using your ghostly powers?"
"Do you enjoy frightening people?"
"Do you know what a 'ghost' is?"
And on and on. (One question that the author forgets to add to the list is "Do ghosts go to the bathroom in the other world?" It would not be out of place.)
Now this kind of cuteness would be tolerable in a child's book, but this book bills itself as a "Field Guide"--as in an exhaustive, serious, even scientific guide to this or that biologic, botanic, or geologic manifestation. Given that those more rigorous parameters remain unfilled, what we miss most is the sudden eruption of a laugh track at the appropriate moments while reading this book. (But of course, ever-resourceful ghost hunters could always make their own.)
The stories themselves are simple rehashings of the same material that other writers have done to death. In other words, expect no new primary information on the hauntings the author discusses.
Blackman does have the courtesy to include a bibliography at the end of the book, but all of the books he lists are rehashes themselves.
So, ok. What's good about this book? The cover art by Kamil Vojnar is really impressive. (For that I've given this book 3 stars.)
What's the scariest thing about this book? Random House publishes it as a book for adults. Remember that Random House began as a publisher for William Faulkner, Gertrude Stein, James Joyce and other great writers of the twentieth century. This fact alone is enough to give anyone the creeps when thumbing through these "haunted" pages.
Book Description
An entertaining and educational book on the history of domestic architecture, the styles of the houses we live in and the terms for the architectural elements that compose those buildings. Contains a pictorial field guide to investigate your own home and to identify different architectural details. Features over 60 houses listed in the National Register of Historic Places along with 170 full-color illustrations.
Customer Reviews:
Definitive Architectural Guide for Children.......2003-04-12
I learned more about architecture than I ever imagined I would. And the thing is, I was really intimidated by the topic. Glenn has a way of writing that is easy to digest and remember. I read it with my son who is in 4th grade and I think we both really looked forward to the time we invested in this new subject. I understand she has written a second book, "Discover America's Favorite Architects," which I plan to purchase and read with my son . These books are to BUY not to take out of the library because they become constant companions! With summer approaching, I suggest you get out and treat yourself to adventures in architecture!!!
Average customer rating:
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Arizona's Grand Canyon (Plateau, Vol 62, No 2)
Dorothy A. House
Manufacturer: Museum of Northern Arizona
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Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0897341058 |
From the Publisher
Barocci (1535-1612) was one of the most important painters of the second half of the 16th century. This major scholarly catalogue includes the first translation in English of Giovanni Pietro Bellori's biography, plus all known Barocci drawings in America and works from Europe. Distributed by Woodstocker Books.
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- Horses of the Sun: Robert Vavra
- 18 horses of 6 breeds
- If You're a Vavra fan, you'll like this book...
- FANTASTIC!!!!!!!
- Fantastic Horse Photos
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Horses of the Sun: A Gallery of the World's Most Exquisite Equines
Robert Vavra
Manufacturer: William Morrow
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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Horses (Passions)
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Arabians From the Camera of Johnny Johnston
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Horses: Photographs
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Horses
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Heart of the Horse
ASIN: 0688138640 |
Book Description
With the superior artisanship and eye for the natural horse that has made him the world's most celebrated photographer of horses, Robert Vavra presents a book of all-new images, profiling eighteen stunning equines spanning six breeds: Arabian, Andalusian, Morgan, American Saddlebred, Friesian, and Peruvian Paso. As in Vavra's most popular books, all are alone and running free in glorious natural settings: a white Arabian in a sun-washed desert; a black Friesian galloping in snowdrifts; a gray Andalusian amid violet flowers; a chestnut Arabian prancing in autumn leaves.
These lush photographs are accompanied by poetry and are followed by text and drawing that profile each breed, highlighting the particularly outstanding traits of each horse depicted. Vavra pays special attention to the Andalusian, providing an essay on its romantic history. Presented on natural, handmade paper,
Horses of the Sun fuses the beautiful simplicity of Vavra's earlier works with a new, fresh image of horses. For anyone who loves horses or simply appreciates the finest of photography,
Horses of the Sun is a lovely gift -- a paean to this most beloved of animals.
Customer Reviews:
Horses of the Sun: Robert Vavra.......2007-01-09
This is a must have for horse lovers. The photos are outstanding. The text is also worth the purchase.
18 horses of 6 breeds.......2006-06-12
Great focus on a limited number of similar horse breeds.
If You're a Vavra fan, you'll like this book..........2006-02-16
Overall, I'd have to agree with the reviewer's comments from Lakewood, OH.
Anyone familiar with Vavra's work will recognize his dreamlike, romanticized approach to horse photography. More "artsy" in style, tone and layout - than the straight forward approach.
Lots of soft-focus photography with heavy post-production image editing (layering of horse upon background, and vice-versa). I own two of Vavra's books (this being the second one to "Equus: The Creation Of A Horse"), so whether or not one likes this style of equine photography is a matter of personal taste. Still, this is a beautifully printed and bound book, with some outstanding equine photography.
See my review of "Equus: The Creation Of A Horse" for further reviews of Vavra's work.
Forward by William Shatner (yes, Captain Kirk!).
If you are a horselover and enjoy books on equine photography in general, check out the work of Gabrielle Boiselle, Johnny Johnston, Henry Dallal, Fulvio Cinquini, Jennifer Forsberg Meyer, et al. All have made their career photographing horses, and it shows. Boiselle is a personal favorite.
FANTASTIC!!!!!!! .......2005-09-02
I WISH I HAD KNOWN ABOUT THIS GUY BACK WHEN I HAD MY HORSE!!
HE MUST LOVE THE ANIMALS BECAUSE, HE PHOTOGRAPHS THEM SO, WELL!! HE FOCUSES ON THE EYES OF THE ANIMALS IN MANY PICTURES AS IF, HE IS LOOKING AT THEIR SOULS!!! I DO NOT REGRET PURCHASING THIS BOOK AT ALL!!!!!!!!! I WOULD RECOMMEND THIS TO EVERYONE WHO LOVES HORSES!!!!!
SHIRLEY GREER
Fantastic Horse Photos.......2005-09-02
I KNOW HE LOVES HORSES BECAUSE OF THE WAY HE PHOTOGRAPHS THE ANIMALS EYES!!! HE IS A MASTER!!
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- This story has a happy ending!
- The Spirit Archives Series
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The Spirit Archives, Vol. 4
Will Eisner
Manufacturer: DC Comics
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Binding: Hardcover
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The Spirit Archives, Vol. 3: July 6 - December 28, 1941
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The Spirit Archives, Vol. 2: January 5 - June 29, 1941
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The Spirit Archives, Vol. 1: June 2 - December 29, 1940
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The Spirit Archives, Volume 17
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Spirit Archives, Volume 6
ASIN: 1563897148 |
Book Description
In the fourth installment of the Spirit Archive series, the costumed crimefighter continues to join the Allied forces in their fight against the Axis powers. As his last work on these Sunday strips before being inducted into the army for World War II, Eisner brings real world elements into his stories as the Spirit gets involved in spy and espionage games with the Squid, Silk Satin, and Madam Minx. Collecting the Sunday strips from January 4 - June 28, 1942, these tales also include two very special "army operas" and an appearance by Eisner himself as he aids the Spirit in solving a perplexing mystery.
Customer Reviews:
This story has a happy ending!.......2005-10-07
All The Spirit comics from January to June, 1942. Spirit creator Will Eisner was in the service at the time, so the comic was largely done by his assistants. Solid crimefighter comics, but the really great stuff was to come later.
The Spirit Archives Series.......2004-04-04
Will Eisner is the only comic book artist to ever have his work shown in a museum of art. His most important work is the Spirit. The Spirit Archives series has brought together all of his work, that was printed in a weekly newspaper insert. However, after the work found in volumes 1 and 2, Eisner was called to active duty and served in the army during World War II. The Spirit carried on, but it was drawn by other artists. Eisner's work does not pick up again until the stories found in Volume 12 of the Archives series. The work in Volumes 3-11 is fine, but it is not the work of Will Eisner.
Books:
- A Portfolio of Fireplace Ideas (Portfolio Ofideas)
- A Vision of a Living World: The Nature of Order, Book 3
- A Visual Dictionary of Architecture
- An Affair with a House
- An Architecture of the Ozarks: The Works of Marlon Blackwell
- Architecture Theory since 1968
- Bali Modern: The Art of Tropical Living
- Bali Modern: The Art of Tropical Living
- Barragan - The Complete Works
- Brunelleschi's Dome: How a Renaissance Genius Reinvented Architecture
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
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- Cell Lineage and Fate Determination
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- Kiss Me, Judas: A Novel
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- Design for Assisted Living: Guidelines for Housing the Physically and Mentally Frail
- The Ferns of Florida: A Reference and Field Guide
Identifying American Architecture: A Pictorial Guide to Styles and Terms : 1600-1945
The Visual Dictionary of American Domestic Architecture
Historic Preservation: An Introduction to Its History, Principles, and Practice
What Style Is It?: A Guide to American Architecture, Revised Edition
American Houses: A Field Guide to the Architecture of the Home
