Towers

Looks at natural towers, famous towers of the past, church towers, cathedrals, Islamic towers, pagodas, bell towers, communications towers, and skyscrapers

This German import is flawed by a too-broad scope, awkward text, inevitable omissions, and editorial lapses. It is, however, the only comprehensive survey of these artifacts of "man's desire to build upward." Many structures meet the authors' definition of towers: windmills, pagodas, cooling towers, and towerlike rocks are included as well as the Tower of Babel, Eiffel Tower, and campanile of Pisa. Broad geographical and chronological coverage is the book's strong point. It includes, for example, chapters on Islamic towers and temples in Southern Asia. Topical chapters begin with one-page summaries and contain color photos, drawings, cross-sections, and floor plans, each with an explanatory paragraph. An introduction, a brief survey of the history of tower-building, and a two-page conclusion are the only other text. The coffee-table format will be attractive to the general reader; specialists will be intrigued by the comprehensive treatment.
- Christine Whittington, Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.