The Observer's Book of Architecture

Observer's Books

by John Penoyre

Describing and indexing the development of building in Britain from Saxon times to the present day with over 250 illustrations

Genres: Architecture, Nonfiction

223 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1951

Reviews

[Ellie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Penoyre and Ryan do an excellent job of concisely summarising the essence and feeling of different architectural periods and styles. Great for the amateur student seeking a basis of understanding to build upon (no pun intended).

The authors explain the development of architectural style within the context of its many influencing factors including (but certainly not limited to): social needs, technical skill, available materials, economic situation, foreign influence, and religious and ideological ideas and commitments. The latter I found particularly interesting.

It should be noted that this is a history of only English architecture specifically from the 7th century to 20th century. Classical architecture is of course touched upon but only in reference to its impact on English style.

I was struck by the quality of the illustrations which make the book all the more enjoyable. The end portion of the book is dedicated to a helpful visual index.

I found some of the content rather dated in its judgements and assumptions, however in all, this is a book I would definitely consider reading again.

[Isabella Alexander · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very comprehensive

[Daniel Kennedy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful small book full of illustrations from Georgian era architecture. A must have for any art directors.

[Abrahamus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picked this up in a used bookstore a number of years ago. Skimmed it often; finally decided to read it cover-to-cover. Handy reference and graphically well presented (the illustrations were what originally caught my eye). The title is a bit misleading: the subject is English architecture (from Anglo-Saxon times onward) specifically and not architecture generally.

[Maureen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was exactly what I'd been looking for. A neat little introductory guide to architectural movements from the middle ages up to the mid=20th century,telling you how to recognize styles and - more importantly - why things were built the way they were. Plus, the illustrations are fantastic.