A Global History of Architecture

Praise for the First Edition

"Because of its exceptionally wide perspective, even architectural historians who do not teach general survey courses are likely to enjoy and appreciate it."
—Annali d'architettura

"Not only does A Global History of Architecture own the territory (of world architecture), it pulls off this audacious task with panache, intelligence, and—for the most part—grace."
—Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians

Revised and updated—the compelling history of the world's great architectural achievements

Organized along a global timeline, A Global History of Architecture, Second Edition has been updated and revised throughout to reflect current scholarship. Spanning from 3,500 b.c.e. to the present, this unique guide is written by an all-star team of architectural experts in their fields who emphasize the connections, contrasts, and influences of architectural movements throughout history. The architectural history of the world comes to life through a unified framework for interpreting and understanding architecture, supplemented by rich drawings from the renowned Frank Ching, as well as brilliant photographs. This new Second Edition:

Delivers more coverage of non-Western areas, particularly Africa, South Asia, South East Asia, and Pre-Columbian America
Is completely re-designed with full-color illustrations throughout
Incorporates additional drawings by Professor Ching, including new maps with more information and color
Meets the requirements set by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) for "non-Western" architecture in history education.
Offers new connections to a companion Web site, including Google EarthTM coordinates for ease of finding sites.

Architecture and art enthusiasts will find A Global History of Architecture, Second Edition perpetually at their fingertips.

Customer Reviews:

long over-due summary of global architecture: a must buy

By Michelle Drum - October 26, 2006

This book is a sorely needed alternative to current textbooks. It is written in crisp and unsentimental style that conveys big themes but with an attention to details. The book is organized as a series of timelines beginning with 3500 BC and ending with a chapter on recent architecture. But instead of each chapter beginning at the same place in the world, each chapter begins somewhere differently.3500 BCE starts in China, 25 BCE in India, 1500 BCE in Egypt and 800 BCE with the Olmecs in Mexico. This constant turning and spinning of the globe is, in my view, quite exiting, as it gets students to learn how to be comparative in their thinking and simultaneously mobile in their intellectual understanding of history. Each chapter is introduced by a one page "take" on the architecture of each time section. These introductions, which serve as a text with a text, point out the themes of each chapter. Naturally in a work like this, one can talk about what is and is not included, but one has to... read more

Ka Ching!

By N. Dilworth "Ching Fan" - August 24, 2006

I pre-ordered Ching's new book months ago based just on his outstanding work in his previous books. I wasn't disapponted. The timeline organization gives a much-needed new comparative perspective on architecture around the globe and across time. Ching's illustrations and choice of photos are just enough to illustrate the excellent text. This is yet another example of Ching's talent as an architectural illustrator and teacher of arxchitecture.

Useful New Textbook on Global Architecture

By N. Allyn - May 19, 2007

At first I thought the book would be too dry and encyclopedia like, but when I started reading the chapters, I was taken by the text. It moved along nicely, and though there is a lot of information, it is presented in a way that makes sense, and in a way that helps one navigate through the `big pictures' of history. The maps are nice but they sometimes could have more information on them. The book is a challenge to those who think linearly or for those who think that the history of architecture "begins" with the Egyptians and Greeks and then "ends" in US postmodernism; the purpose of the book is to keep the globe turning. Sometimes the authors go east to west and sometimes west to east. It takes a little getting used to, but I think people will appreciate the idea that history is a moving target. It makes for some interesting contrasts. Each chapter has its own particular logic, however, and tries to emphasize a particular theme, having to do with religion or politics. On page 511,... read more