Book Description
Both epic and intimate, this is the story of the fight to save the world’s architectural and cultural heritage as it is embodied in the extraordinary buildings and urban spaces of the great cities of Asia, the Americas, and Europe.
Never before have the complexities and dramas of urban preservation been as keenly documented as in
Preserving the World’s Great Cities. In researching this important work, Anthony Tung traveled throughout the world to visit remarkable buildings and districts in China, Italy, Greece, the U.S., Japan, and elsewhere. Everywhere he found both the devastating legacy of war, economics, and indifference and the accomplishments of people who have worked and sometimes risked their lives to preserve and renew the most meaningful urban expressions of the human spirit.
From Singapore’s blind rush to become the most modern city of the East to Warsaw’s poignant and heroic effort to resurrect itself from the Nazis’ systematic campaign of physical and cultural obliteration, from New York and Rome to Kyoto and Cairo, we see the city as an expression of the best and worst within us. This is essential reading for fans of Jane Jacobs and Witold Rybczynski and everyone who is concerned about urban preservation.
From the Hardcover edition.
Customer Reviews:
agree with above, but i hated the tone.......2006-08-06
It is a great survey book of some amazing cities. I tend to agree with what has been written. But just a word of caution, Tung's writing style will start to grate as every chapter ends with somewhat of a flourish. I think it detracts from his obvious love of cities and preservation.
Truly excellent book on the great cities of the world .......2004-11-24
In March of 1995 author Anthony M. Tung journeyed to 22 of the world's greatest cities in order to study how architectural preservation had failed and succeeded in some of the most artistically and historically significant urban areas around the globe. Having served for many years as a member of New York City's Landmarks Preservation Commission, Tung sought to understand how the complex issue of urban conservation was handled around the world and to gather in one book a body of very basic information about this practice.
Until the 20th century, each new stage of architecture and construction referred substantially to previous stages; in Western culture, there was a "direct aesthetic line" connecting the architecture of classical Greece, imperial Rome, the Romanesque period, the Renaissance, the Baroque, the Rocco, and all forms of classical revival that followed, with even divergent traditions like French Gothic or English Tudor making use of common architectonic elements. Cities tended to be harmonious, each new generation of buildings blending with older buildings to a great degree.
In the 20th century however, many age-old aesthetic traditions were abruptly discarded by a modern, new, jarring architecture, built often at vastly different scales than older buildings, of completely different materials, built with new methods, buildings that were consciously designed to have a complete lack of relationship with the previous continuum of form. In Cairo for instance skylines once dominated by domes and minarets of mosques are now ruled by looming massive hotels. Massive gray residential slabs now dominate the remaining parts of historic Moscow. In some cases, as in New York, new buildings were built over and around preserved historic buildings, making them appear toy-like and ridiculous. Further, these buildings of alien scale and design often hopelessly fractured any urban architectural harmony, often forever, as what was destroyed can either never be replaced or only replaced at great financial, legal, political, and economic cost.
Older cities of handcrafted buildings, made of natural materials from the immediate environment of the city, reflecting the historical values and physical characteristics of unique urban cultures Tung wrote now constitute a "finite resource from a closed period of human cultural evolution." Much of the unique architecture of the world's great cities - ancient Roman ruins, the cross-cultural traditions of Singaporean pernanakan architecture, buildings that show a great "specialness of place" - is still in danger in many places of being replaced by a global monoculture, of older unique buildings being replaced by comparatively poorly constructed structures that are generic in design and that differ little in response to local environmental and social surroundings.
Why were older buildings replaced? War certainly plays a factor as might be expected, though by and large Tung feels that city residents themselves are responsible for building replacement. Sometimes older handcrafted buildings are replaced for what were laudable reasons, such as slum clearance, attempts to give the poor a better quality of life, though often irreplaceable but fixable buildings were demolished rather than rehabilitated. Some cities, such as Vienna, Charleston, and Amsterdam (which are detailed at length), bucked this trend, either saving old buildings or constructing new public housing with a conscious effort to maintain local architectural traditions. More often than not though making money was the goal; speculative real estate and construction in the name of progress fractured urban landscapes, as out of scale skyscrapers thrust into the London skyline and ugly hotels of poor artistry were erected in Cairo.
Sometimes destruction or replacement of older handcrafted buildings seemed nearly unavoidable; Kyoto for instance, largely spared bombing in World War II, for centuries a city with buildings comprised of shoji (sliding walls of light wood frames covered by translucent paper) and tatami (rectilinear straw mats of standardized dimensions that covered the floors), were rapidly being replaced post-war by modern Western buildings that could more easily accommodate such innovations as modern plumbing and electricity. Tung related how this "culture of destruction" is being reversed, efforts in this regard aided by uniquely Asian views of preservation (often times ancient buildings are wood and are partially or wholly rebuilt periodically, the emphasis often in China and Japan on preserving the original form not as in Europe or America the original material) and permanence (Japanese buildings were traditionally built to withstand natural disasters and wars by being flexible and if destroyed by being easily rebuilt).
Sometimes architectural preservation - or destruction - was dictated not by war or by progress but by ideology. The Third Reich demolished the landmarks of Warsaw as a punitive action against the Poles, Nazi architects purposely identifying key Warsaw buildings and purposefully destroying them (additionally many were destroyed in actual combat). As an act of defiance, Polish architects risked their lives (and quite a few perished for their efforts) to document this heritage before it was destroyed, hiding plans and documents during the Nazi occupation and then completely rebuilding the city as an act of remembrance.
Tung recounted many successes in his book as well as failures. What are the common denominators in successful preservation? Clearly economic underdevelopment causes decay and destruction of historic assets. In a detailed chapter on Cairo, Tung discussed how the city's massive problems posed by skyrocketing population growth, extensive poverty, and an endemic culture of illegal settlement and corrupt, byzantine bureaucracy have caused residents to perceive conservation as a lesser priority and have created unique environmental challenges to the city's priceless Muslim architecture thanks to air pollution and a rising water table. Citizens of cities have to have in addition to the means of preserving the city a will to do so; while many of the historic districts of New York were listed and are protected thanks to the efforts of the residents of those areas, Venice, despite widespread international support, is decaying as fewer and fewer Venetians actually live in the historic city, not only affecting city politics and budgets as residents of the historic city lose clout to those outside the historic city but by simply not being present to provide such upkeep.
a thoughtful work.......2004-01-25
this book is a wonderful read. it should be a mandatory read for all city planners/architects. there is so much we can learn from the successes and failure of other cities' efforts in preserving their heritage.
for most people, it's still a great treat coz' the stories of how these great evolves are just mesmerizing. the tale of the reconstruction of warsaw is a moving moment of human history. and the decaying of ancient cairo is tragic and upsetting. the author manages to tell these stories in a context relevant to all of us, as a city dweller or a visitor in a globalized world. he also makes us aware of the complex underlying forces behind the metamorphosis of these urban fabrics.
i am looking forward to visiting or revisiting these great cities after reading this book. and i am eagerly waiting for a sequel that uncovers the stories of other great cities like prague, kathmandu, bangkok, shanghai, new delhi, sydney, buenos aires, havana, istanbul, barcelona...
Great book! Great cities! Great Stories, and well told!.......2002-03-25
For close to three decades, I've tried to understand why some cities preserve their historic and architectural fabric, while others destroy theirs. I now have a much better understanding about the political, social, and economic dynamics underlying preservation, or the lack thereof. Moreover, the author articulated some basics that no previous book ever did. Like, what is holding up all those building in Venice? And why did Warsaw, almost alone among cities ravaged in WWII, rebuild its historic fabric? The author not only answered my Warsaw question, but moved me to near tears in the process. (Why isn't this heroic story being made into a movie?) In short, buy this fascinating, informative book!
Can We Save Our Great Cities?.......2002-03-01
What makes a city great? How do you preserve a great city? Why do you preserve a great city? Who can preserve a great city? As you finish this well crafted review by Anthony Tung of the evolving fate of 20 famous cities from around the earth, you feel the answers to these questions are within your grasp. A great city is a living manifestation of the society that built it over the centuries. It can be preserved by the dedicated and enlightened effort of those who live in it. Only they can develop it in a way that recognizes the changes of time without giving up their cultural heritage. Great cities are the architectural fabric of civilization, showing how it evolved in various parts of the world as societies developed within a particular regional environment. Its residents, if they can maintain their culture and heritage in the face of change can preserve it, supported by benevolent assistance from others when needed.
This book makes clear that there are also common threats of destruction each of these amazing cities must face. Beyond the ravages of time, which can clearly be overcome in a stable situation, three become apparent in reading the stories of these great cities. They are destruction from war or by conquering invaders; deterioration as the original builders move out and are replaced by those who are poorer, less educated and ironically often subjugated by the original builders; and destruction to make way for more modern and impersonal buildings and infrastructure based on the influence of modern global society.
I wish to thank the author for the journey he shared with me. When he was writing about those cities I have visited, such as Paris, London, New York or Mexico City, he captured the essence of their heritage in a way that rang true to my experience. When discussing the state of those I would like to see; Beijing, Kyoto, Cairo or Athens for example, his descriptions were again lucid and highly credible. They made me want to visit the city and try to comprehend its past and its fate for myself. Written in a style that makes you feel you are in these great cities vicariously, this book not only makes you want to visit them, but also to do your part to help preserve the heritage of the city that you call home.
Average customer rating:
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From Matt Black to Memphis
Princeton Arch Staff
Manufacturer: Princeton Architectural Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 1854542508 |
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- Practical and, I hope, inspiring
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Smart Retail: How to Turn Your Store into a Sales Phenomenon
Richard Hammond
Manufacturer: Financial Times Management
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0273675214 |
Book Description
Retail is amazing. It's immediate, exciting, risky - and downright tough. Running shops gets into your bloodstream. But even though retail has been credited for saving whole economies, it is still possibly the least understood of all business practices. This is the first 'how to' retail handbook. It uncovers the key elements that separate the great retailers from the average, the killer teams from the also-rans and the High Street success stories from the back street strugglers. Covering everything from creating the ultimate in-store experience to understanding your customer and from promotional strategies to building energized and motivated teams, this is the book that will equip store managers, aspiring team-workers, retail entrepreneurs and indeed anybody who sells direct to customers, with practical winning ideas and strategies for retail success.
Customer Reviews:
Practical and, I hope, inspiring.......2006-04-25
I've been in retail for 18 years now and one of the first lessons I learnt was to always be open to ideas and advice - and that's why I wrote this book: to gather together the world's best retail practice and then to deliver it in to you in a practical and useful form.
I'm not a professor, I'm not a theorist - I'm a retailer and the book is written in 'our' language. I hope you find some good stuff in there - let me know what you think (my e-mail address is in the back).
Cheers,
Rich
Average customer rating:
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Tomorrow's Markets: Global Trends and Their Implications for Business
Amy Cassara ,
Christain Layke ,
Janet Ranganathan ,
Carmen Revenga ,
Dan Tunstall , and
Wendy Vanasselt
Manufacturer: World Resources Institute
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Economic Conditions
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ASIN: 1569734976 |
Book Description
Business leaders have historically viewed social concerns as having little relevance to competition. Leaders in the social sector tend to view firms strictly as adversaries to their causes. Yet as savvy corporations and social advocates are discovering, one of the most effective ways to address many of the world's pressing problems is to mobilize the corporate sector so that both companies and society can benefit.
This volume provides an important foundation of data that catalogs market opportunities in addressing social needs—and the payoff to successful international development. It is the first publication in which the leading indicators of world economic, environmental, and social condition have been collected specifically for an international business audience. Using colorful graphic indicators, maps, and quotable facts, the book describes nineteen global trends that are shaping future markets—in areas such as population, health, education, consumption, ecosystems, urban growth, communications, labor, democracy, and privatization—and interprets each in economic and strategic terms.
In his introductory essay, Harvard Business School professor Michael Porter warns that both the corporate and social sectors will need to adopt new mindsets to deal with increasing global challenges and opportunities. He calls Tomorrow's Markets an "invaluable tool" for understanding the relationship between corporate strategy and societal issues, and how both sides can profit from it.
Book Description
The battle of Yarmuk was the single most crushing blow suffered by the Byzantine Empire until the battle of Manzikert in 1071. It resulted in the loss of Syria, Palestine and most of the Byzantine provinces in the Middle East. In 636 AD, after protracted skirmishing and various minor engagements the Arab and Byzantine armies faced each other on the banks of the Yarmuk river. The Byzantines were initially successful, driving back the Arab right wing and attacking one of the camps containing the women and families. This attack was however repulsed, with the help of the Arab women, and further attacks were beaten off. Finally the Arab counter-attacks broke the Byzantine lines and the subsequent pursuit became a rout. The awful fate of the fleeing Byzantine soldiers was remembered for several generations until it was recorded in early Islamic histories. In this title, David Nicolle not only looks at the battle itself but also the whole decisive Arab campaign - from the Muslim invasion of 633/4 to the fall of Byzantine Syria. An analysis of the differing performances of the two armies at Yarmuk, and a look at the battlefield today completes this interesting examination of one of the key battles in the history of the Middle East.
Customer Reviews:
Decent Coverage of an Important Muslim Battle.......2007-10-15
The author does a pretty good job of covering this battle between the Muslim forces of the 7th Century and the Byzantine Empire. Recent books on the Jihadist movement cite this battle as an inspiration for Muslim terrorists. As such, western readers should find this ancient battle interesting. Unfortunately, the historical records appear to be weak. It is a weakness that Mr. Nicolle could not fully overcome.
Nevertheless, the book provides a basic understanding of the overall campaign that led up to this battle. Only the second half of "The Campaign" chapter deals with the Battle of Yarmuk. The first half is focused on the overall campaign and the associated battles of Ajnadayn and Pella, among others. Thus, the coverage of the Yarmuk battle itself is somewhat truncated. Some stories are apocryphal and not fully developed. In addition, the author often refers to several important personalities without fully explaining their identity. Basically, there are too many names to keep straight. The Chapter on the "Opposing Armies" is quite good in its description of tactics and recruiting methods. It is well-organized into Byzantine and Muslim sections. The ending chapter does an excellent job of explaining the fall of Syria, which was the major goal of the campaign. The author points out that this Muslim victory had far more to do with the individual cities surrendering than with the defeat of the Byzantine army at Yarmuk.
The 3D maps are pretty good despite a few minor shortcomings. The map of the 4th day of battle contains a landmark or "Tel" with only half the name. This reference is useless, as the reader has no way of knowing what Tel the author is trying to emphasize. The text refers to a Byzantine base camp at Yaqusah, which the Muslims eventually overran. Unfortunately, this camp is not located on any of the three Yarmuk battle maps. Nevertheless, the other maps are quite good; the siege of Damascus being one example. Also, the large area maps that detail the overall movement of both Byzantine and Muslim forces are quite helpful.
The book contains numerous photographs that are a standard feature of Osprey books. Unfortunately, the pictures of the various wall paintings are hard to see due to years of decay, or taken at an angle that makes the photo less than clear. The photographs of the various sculptures, however are first rate and quite helpful.
Bottom line: this is a pretty good book on a very important battle. Despite some minor weaknesses, the reader will gain a basic understanding of this battle that appears to loom large in Islamic mythology.
Wow...another name for a helmet.......2004-02-15
I swear, Dr. Nicolle must have spent his entire life staring at rusty weapons and suits of armor, because that is what half the book is about. Muslim weapons, Byzantine recruitment, size of the Muslim armies, Byzantine tactics that never are mentioned to be used...complete with 10,000 names of EVERY type of soldier of a Byzantine and Arab army that he never uses later and is a complete waste of ink! The origins of the campaign is weak, and the whole summary of the campaign is dry (he moved there, this place surrendered, then they moved here...). Sheesh, even the battle (only several pages long) is exceedingly emotionless and those pages are filled with mediocre pictures taking up more than half the page taken of some dry gorge! I must admit that even the 2D and 3D maps are pretty lame, as it is exceedingly difficult to tell between the armies (there are about 6 of them in the 2D maps, their movements are all in the same color, and the only difference between them is the minute spaces between the dashed lines). Another plus (or minus, in common terms) is that I swear I saw around 100 of "he might have..." "he probably..." "this could have..." "maybe..." that it becomes painstakingly obvious that the whole campaign is soaked in mystery that a very few facts can be said. But of course, why would a person want to buy a book that the more than half of the ideas presented are misleading (also adding the whole campaign/battle is less than a 1/3 of the book)? Unfortunatley I was one of those people, and after reading this, I have absolved to never buy another Osprey from Dr. Nicolle. He would me much better making college speeches about archeology and battle tactics (that werent even used in this campaign, by the way) that writing a book focused very much on fervor and emotion rather than dry, unfactual summaries. Why do I rate it a two? Because I found no grammatical errors. But by the time I realized that, I had ceased to care (and I don't like to be mean, and yes, I just proved I was a hypocrite).
Islmic pious and brilliant commanders uncovered.......2000-05-03
Never before the Battle of Yarmuk presented in English literature so much complete and thorough. Both sides were presented equally and the backgrounds were defined clearly and intact. Inquiries of the aftermath were also seriously done and showed how decisive the battle was.
Some flaws regarding the sandstorms and the accusation of Ghassanids turnover to the Muslim as the main cause of Byzantines' defeat did not even scratch the beauty of this work.
Easily the best-buy book that came out from OSPREY Campaign Series.
Excellent, well-illustrated and detailed........1999-05-25
I find it odd that most military historians omit the Battle of Yarmuk in their descriptions of great battles. It was the crucial struggle that permitted the outnumbered Muslims (12,000 Muslims vs 80,000 Byzantines )to take Syria from the Byzantines, was titanic in scale and lasted several days. The book is very detailed in its description of tactics and armaments used by both sides, as well as the organisation of the opposing forces. It describes the crucial events of the battle each day it lasted, and includes funny anecdotes such as the actions of Hind bint Utbah, Abu Sufyan's formidable wife, who took part in the battle. A must read in order to complete the historical picture of the Islamic Conquest, and to add one more to the list of Great Battles. I'd like to see the Muslim conquest of Persia described in the series as well.
Average customer rating:
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Die Araber, Europas Nachbarn: Vergangenheit, Gegenwart, Zukunft
Horst J Andel
Manufacturer: Fischer-Taschenbuch-Verlag
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Perfect Paperback
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ASIN: 3596234026 |
Book Description
Volume 2 of the monumental illustrated study of the pheasants of eastern Asia includes information on plumage, songs, courtship, nests, eggs, more. Total in set: 90 full-color plates. 184 photographs. 20 distribution maps, diagrams of feathers.
Customer Reviews:
Glad to find it!.......2007-04-12
I had looked for this item for a long time before finally locating it on Amazon. It is a very good resource to have. In fact, I prefer these editions over the previous volumes that I purchased. Very informative.
Good reprint of a classic.......2001-04-10
This great work is the result of an expedition across most of Asia in the years just before World War I. It is not just a dry ornithological survey, although all the necessary apparatus is there, but is packed with superb descriptions of the landscape and wildlife. It is a work of literature as well as science. The colour plates are from paintings by Thorburn, Lodge, Fuertes, etc and are well reproduced from the original books - not as good as modern colour printing, but good enough. The photographs are rather grey, as they are in the original printing. The text is an exact facsimile, of the excellent typography.
Customer Reviews:
A rare and most beautiful experience.Wolf is a master artist.......1998-03-27
I had the great privilage of winning a copy in a silent auction. I can honestly say I am in awe. Both author and illustrator were blessed with great gifts that they improved by intense study and practice.
Average customer rating:
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A monograph of the Phasianidæ, or family of the pheasants
Daniel Giraud Elliot
Manufacturer: The author
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
Zoology
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| Amphibians
| Anatomy
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| Invertebrates
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ASIN: B0006AFWIE |
Books:
- Principles of Roman Architecture
- Reinforced Concrete: A Fundamental Approach (4th Edition)
- Rooftop addenda to existing buildings.(Rooftop Architecture--Building on an Elevated Surface)(Book review) : An article from: Architectural Science Review
- Ruins of Ancient Rome: The Drawings of French Architects Who Won the Prix De Rome 1786-1924
- Shaping Seattle Architecture: A Historical Guide to the Architects
- Simplified Building Design for Wind and Earthquake Forces (Parker/Ambrose Series of Simplified Design Guides)
- Simplified Design of Wood Structures (Parker/Ambrose Series of Simplified Design Guides)
- Sociopolis: Project for a City of the Future
- Stefanidis Designs: Creating Atmosphere, Effect and Comfort
- The Architect of Desire: Beauty and Danger in the Stanford White Family
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