The history of building in Ireland spans more than five thousand years. The evidence of these years of building persists thoughout the intricate and richly textured landscape of the island. In the course of an hours drive or; in some areas; a walk; strange stone monuments from neolithic times; remnants of Early Christian settlements and the romantic ruins of great medieval monasteries can all be seen. The streetscapes and skylines of Irish towns and countryside are often punctuated by a stone castle or the pointed spires of various churches. On headlands and lonely offshore islands we find the white towers of old lighthouses; stone fortifications; signal-stations of Napoleonic times; or even silent deserted villages. The long history of the island is legible in the architecture of the past. Illustrated by over two hundred pages of delicately detailed ink drawings by the author; this is a book for the explorer and traveller; encompassing the larger towns and hidden laneways alike. The author begins his story of Irish building with the stone cells of Early Christian times and concludes with the architecture of the twentieth century. Styles are described and illustrated to help the interested observer identify building types; while further examples are listed and located to tempt the curious.
#64952 in eBooks 2013-06-01 2013-06-01File Name: B00D5FL5IS
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. A treasure of knowledgeBy ElaThis book is a treasure of knowledge about art and artists. Laura Cumming writes well and enthusiastically about a subject she loves. Every chapter reveals new angles even of familiar paintings. I recommend reading this book with Kindle on the Ipad; since then you can enlarge the paintings and go for a search on the Internet of those self-portraits that are not shown. A pleasure.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. This is a wonderful book. It is well written and very informativeBy jkThis is a wonderful book. It is well written and very informative; providing an interesting perspective on the subject. There are many illustrations; often large and in color. A number of reviewers have commented that some of the paintings the author discusses are not in the text. This is in fact true but I was able to find all of them on the internet without any dificulty1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Great reading and very informativeBy P. BarrettShes not only a good writer; she has a wonderful eye for the art. As she described the art works; I kept looking back and forth from her description to the photos to look for all the details I missed. I learned so much. I had no idea all these artists were putting themselves in their works; often without even identifying themselves.