American Architecture since 1780: A Guide to the Styles

When Marcus Whiffen's classic introduction to American architectural styles was published in 1969, Reyner Banham called it "one of the most enjoyable general works on American architecture that has ever appeared."

This new edition, containing descriptions, histories, and illustrations of more than forty architectural styles, has been revised and updated to include two new entries on late modernism and on post-modernism and a description of "streamline moderne," now recognized as an independent style. The number of illustrations has been increased to 200.

Marcus Whiffen is Professor Emeritus in the School of Architecture at Arizona State University.

"The capsule characterizations and histories of the different architectural styles of America offer many masterly interpretive generalizations, and the examples of each style illustrated will introduce the reader to a variety and richness of architecture that he may not have suspected to exist in North America.... This is one of the most enjoyable general works on American architecture that has ever appeared."
—The Times Literary Supplement

"The various sections of this book treat in chronological order developing architectural styles, explaining their distinctive features, and discussing the architects who were most influential in creating or modifying the new style. There are many fine photographs to illustrate the points."
—History News
"The writing has style and clarity, and the author's immense erudition, lightly worn, illuminates many hitherto obscure corners of American architectural history and provides comparisons and parallels which, perhaps, only someone who has had the experience of being both a European and an American can encompass.

"For a portable and compact volume, the book contains an immense amount of information, and does truly provide a panorama of a large segment of American architecture, from the late eighteenth century to today, that cannot be obtained elsewhere."
—The Architectural Review
"This tidy little book is designed for the man in the street, who the author calls the 'building watcher.'

"It is an informative, entertaining aid to his experiencing buildings from the outside, to his noting the rise and falls of some 40 styles in six time periods. Nearly 200 photographs help to achieve this."
—The Boston Globe