Banister Fletcher's A History of Architecture

The 20th edition of Sir Banister Fletcher's A History of Architecture is the first major work of history to include an overview of the architectural achievements of the 20th Century. For over 100 years, Banister Fletcher has been the standard one-volume architectural history, offering a concise and factual account of world architecture from the earliest times.

Twentieth and Centenary Edition

In this twentieth and centenary edition, edited by Dan Cruickshank with three consultant editors and fourteen new contributors:

• Chapters have been recast and expanded, with a third of the text being entirely new.
• New chapters cover the twentieth-century architecture of:
  • The Middle East (including Israel)
  • South-east Asia
  • Hong Kong, Japan, and Korea
  • The Indian subcontinent
  • Russia and the Soviet Union
  • Eastern Europe
  • Latin America

Expanded and Updated Content

• The chapter on traditional architecture of India has been rewritten.
• The section on traditional Chinese architecture has been expanded, both with new specially commissioned drawings.
• Coverage of the architecture of the Americas before 1900 has been enlarged to include, for the first time, detailed coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean.
• The book's scope has been widened to include more architecture from outside Europe.
• The bibliography has been expanded into a separate section, serving as a key source of information on every period of world architecture.

Special Features of the 20th Century Coverage

• North American 20th century architecture has been divided into two chapters, allowing for fuller coverage of contemporary works.
• Western European 20th century architecture has been radically recast.
• For the first time, the architecture of the twentieth century is considered as a whole and assessed in a historical perspective.
• Buildings completed during the last ten years are included.
• The coverage of Islamic architecture has been increased and reorganized into a self-contained section.

A Unique Reference Book

This one-of-a-kind reference places buildings in their social, cultural, and historical contexts, describing the main patterns of architectural development, from Prehistoric times to the International Style.

As Sir Banister Fletcher eloquently states:

"Architecture provides a key to the habits, thoughts, and aspirations of the people, and without a knowledge of this art, the history of any period lacks that human interest with which it should be invested."

Edited by:
Dan Cruickshank, Sir Banister Fletcher, Andrew Saint, Kenneth Frampton, Peter Blundell Jones