John Henry Parkers remarkably timeless dictionary of architecture; first published in 1846; became such a success that he continued to revise it for several years. A profusely illustrated manual that is valuable as a reference or as a portable guide on visits to historical buildings; this authoritative glossary of nearly 500 words used in Greek; Roman; Italian; and Gothic architecture remains highly instructive and informative.Accurate engravings complement many of the authors incisive descriptions mdash; from a buttress in Glastonbury Abbey to zig-zag mouldings in a Norman doorway. Extended entries cover arches; windows; tombs; and other architectural elements; while shorter notes define less commonly used terms such as cavetto; dado; and embrasure.An indispensable reference for architects and students of architecture; the text includes a topographical index to the illustrations; identifying the many British cathedrals; castles; and parish churches used as examples.
#1988062 in eBooks 2012-04-30 2012-04-30File Name: B00A3ZEGDY
Review
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful. Interesting read. But...By Bob ToppingIt was an ok read; conveniently parsed out in bite-sized chunks that make it easy to read for ten minutes or two hours. Lots of interesting trivia.But... There needs to be some fact-checking as well as some proofreading of the book. Consistent in mistaking an uppercase I for the number one seemed popular. Also the author tended to inject a lot of personal opinions; as we see in the note for Clara Blandick (Auntie Em from The Wizard of Oz). Clara committed suicide after being wracked with pain and a steadily declining health outlook as well as progressive blindness; prompting the author to write; "What a pathetic end for the sturdy; no-nonsense Auntie Em." I took exception to that statement and it caused me to read the rest of the book with a slightly less enthusiastic demeanor. I dont feel that this is the kind of book that is served by editorializing in this manner.I was pleased to see that the book contains a very comprehensive necrology of; at the very least; many hundreds - perhaps thousands -- of Hollywood notables. There is also a lengthy list of burials by site of Tinseltowns departed; a surely welcome resource for fans who plan vacations around cemeteries and death ephemera.To be sure; I would have given this at least one more star but for the distraction of unproofread copy and unnecessary editorializing.7 of 7 people found the following review helpful. Book of the dead.By LisaWell; Ill admit it. I must be one doozy of a morbid person; because I enjoyed the heck out of this book! So much so; that the other 2 books that I was reading were placed aside; just so I could finish this. Im 53; and Ive heard of; and watched about 90% of the people in this book; but I hadnt much of an idea how or when they had died. Boy; stars sure do get married a lot! One thing bothered me; and that was the section that Jon-Erik Hexum was filed under. Suicide. While he did kill himself with a gun loaded with blanks; he didnt know the repercussions of what a blank bullet can really do. I felt it should have been filed under accidents. Aside from a few snide remarks from the author; especially about Claras death "Auntie Em;" I would recommend this book. It was a fascinating read.3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Hollywood Book of DeathBy MissElainesMusingsThe Hollywood Book of DeathThe bizarre; often sordid passings of more than 125 American Movie TV StarsBy: James Robert ParishFor full disclosure. I am a "celebrity" buff. I take gray pride in knowing about the stars of today and yesteryear. Mr. Parishs "The Hollywood Book of Death"(The bizarre; often sordid passings of more than 125 American Movie TV Stars) filled my head with many stars unknown to me as well as the stories of their deaths.Mr. Parish provides a detailed synopsis on each person life and death. I was fascinated to learn of Florence Lawrence "The BIOGRAPH Girl" as well as the worlds first movie star in the chapter on Obscurity.I was also fascinated with Wallace Reid; Ernie Kovacs and The Wizard of Ozs Auntie Em; Clara Blandick.In the Introduction; Mr. Parish points out that while the stars are on the top of their game; every tidbit about them is published. As they begin to fall off the radar; obscurity sets in; until their "final" day; when they are suddenly worthy of stories in newspapers; a retrospective of their career on Entertainment Tonight and a few more days of being newsworthy. For many of them; perhaps its their idea of Heaven.I liked the way Parish broke up the chapters: Accidental; Drugs Achohol; obscurity; murder; suicide; natural causes; puzzling.This book spoke the facts and left the gossip out. Written with dignity. 5 STARS