Mill

Architecture

by David Macaulay

The mills at Wicksbridge are imaginary, but their planning, construction, and operation are quite typical of mills developed in New England throughout the nineteenth century.

Genres: History, Architecture, Nonfiction, Art, Childrens, Picture Books, Science

128 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1983

About the author

David Macaulay, born in 1946, was eleven when his parents moved from England to Bloomfield, New Jersey. He found himself having to adjust from an idyllic English childhood to life in a fast paced American city. During this time he began to draw seriously, and after graduating from high school he enrolled in the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). After spending his fifth year at RISD in Rome on the European Honors Program, he received a bachelor’s degree in architecture and vowed never to practice. After working as an interior designer, a junior high school teacher, and a teacher at RISD, Macaulay began to experiment with creating books. He published his first book, Cathedral, in 1973. Following in this tradition, Macaulay created other books—including City, Castle, Pyramid, Mill, Underground, Unbuilding, and Mosque—that have provided the explanations of the how and the why in a way that is both accessible and entertaining. From the pyramids of Egypt to the skyscrapers of New York City, the human race’s great architectural and engineering accomplishments have been demystified through Macaulay's elaborate show-and-tells. Five of these titles have been made into popular PBS television programs.

Reviews

[Orsolya · Rating 2 out of 5]

David Macaulay is known for his architecturally-driven texts which combine the appeal of children’s picture books with that of an adult coffee table book; delighting readers of all ages. Being a fan of Macaulay’s “Castle” and “Cathedral”, I next turned to “Mill”.

“Mill” deviates from the norm of Macaulay’s other works and sadly: not in a good way. Although “Mill” is unique in its format of following the construction of more than one mill throughout time; this doesn’t successfully draw attention. Even with more emphasis on fiction (Macaulay has an uncanny way of meshing together educational descriptions with fiction); “Mill” is dry, boring, and unimpressive. It simply is not as well-written as the other books and lacks the concise ability of making the facts retainable.

Elaborating on this, the text is lifeless and without any zest. “Mill” feels like either Macaulay was personally not as invested in the topic or gave up on his usual style. Whichever reason it is, it is detrimental to the book. “Mill” is too heavy for children but too boring for adults. Furthermore, Macaulay’s standard way of explaining is absent making “Mill” a more suitable read for someone already processing some knowledge on the topic.

The illustrations are also echelons below Macaulay’s usual efforts. Instead of the mind-blowing pen-and-ink talent which grace the pages of Macaulay’s other books; the illustrations in “Mill” are simply mediocre and lack the detail Macaulay is known for.

On a positive note, “Mill” includes unique characteristics such as letters and diary entries of the fictional characters which add depth to the book. Furthermore, it is quite evident that Macaulay performed extensive research and thus, retains historical accuracy. Plus, as “Mill” progresses, both the text and illustrations become increasingly better resulting in the thought: “Here is the Macaulay I know and love!” Although still not comparable to his other books, it is better than the slow beginning.

Macaulay successfully demonstrates advancements in technology and industry through time making “Mill” informative even though it can become overwhelming. It helps that each page’s text concludes on the corresponding page so that the reader is not flipping back-and-forth in order to understand the illustrations.

The conclusion of “Mill” is creative (albeit, slightly rushed) and solidifies the historical value of architecture. As standard in Macaulay’s work, a glossary is presented at the end highlighting key terms.

“Overall, “Mill” is certainly the weakest of Macaulay’s books I’ve read. Usually, I am stupefied by both the content and illustrations but in this case; the information was difficult to retain and not memorable. Although the book is a good introduction to mills, it isn’t captivating or even necessarily interesting. “Mill” is only recommended to those with specific mill interest or fans of Macaulay who simply collect his works.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another in MacAulay's great books, showing how an Industrial-Revolution era mill (in this case) was built, along with how it fit into the culture that created it. His other books in the same spirit are Castle, Cathedral, Pyramid, City, Mosque, and Unbuilding. Lots of fun to read with or without kids.

[Josh Bauder · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first David Macaulay book I've read, and I loved it. I've had a thing for intricately-illustrated how-things-work books since encountering Stephen Biesty's Castle, which I first read when my age was in the single digits. Mill, though strictly black-and-white, fits the same mold. The real draw of the book (chuckle) is, of course, Macaulay's fantastic illustrations. These depict both small, local items (e.g. a comparison of water wheel types, a close-up of a fly ball governor, or a cross section revealing building construction techniques on a multi-floor factory) and large-scale, complete perspectives (eight bird's-eye views of generally the same landscape show the gradual urbanization of the same plot of land over a century).

Mill is not just a picture book, though. There's substantial text on almost all of the 120+ pages, telling the story of the development of textile mills on the Swift River in Rhode Island from the 1790s to the 1870s. The text is supplemented by excerpts from fictional diaries that reveal how the textile industry was impacted by historical events, such as the Pemberton Mill collapse and the Civil War. This is the perfect read for those who love machines or history or both.

[Einar Jensen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I reread Mill by David Macaulay today. I love his drawings as much as I did when I was a kid. I noticed new details in the text regarding fire protection, but his text in this story was tough to follow because he used so many technical terms that remain alien to me. It was interesting, but not as engaging as I hope my rereading of Castle and Cathedral will be.

[Zack Clemmons · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read with the children in a (not-so-subtle) effort to plant the subliminal seeds which will one day bloom into their conscious desire to become architects. It may be I'm just in full dad-mode, but I finally love intricate and approachable description of how things are built and how they function.

[Betsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned about this book while taking a weaving class at Harrisville Designs in New Hampshire. The owner of the mill and company gave us a talk about the history of Harrisville and the woolen mill. In doing so, he mentioned this book. After visiting Lowell, Mass., and thinking about Harrisville, I grew interested in the history of mills in New England in the 19th century. So I found this book. It is a fascinating story of the building of the mill, illustrated by lovely, ink drawings of various parts of the process and functions of the mill. The illustrations in themselves are worth finding the book. But Macauley gives a history of the building of one particular mill, and includes excerpts from journals of people working at the mill that give a window into the lives of people at that time. The book also helps me place weaving - and the processes involved in the making of cloth into the history of the country. While in New England, I learned about the many fires in mills all over the northeast, and this book references the fires by talking about the construction of buildings with fire safety prominent in the planning. Fascinating book!

[David Montgomery · Rating 4 out of 5]

Macaulay, as usual, effortlessly combines text and his trademark pen-and-ink drawings to describe a monumental construction. Here his focus is not on the great works of yesteryear — castles, cathedrals and pyramids — but rather the Industrial Revolution. "Mill" tells a fictional story about the construction of a series of Rhode Island textile mills over the 19th Century. He showcases the quiet brilliance and competence of the initial mill, then goes on to describe the series of advancements that make the waterwheel and machinery ever more elaborate and efficient (until they are eclipsed by a neighboring steam-powered mill). Accompanying this are fictional diary entries from people connected to the mill — entries that can get surprisingly, archly, dark in tone. It's not as transcendent a work as Macaulay's "Castle" or "The Way Things Work," but is quietly brilliant and consistently informative.

[Colin · Rating 5 out of 5]

David Macaulay's books are treasures to which every child should be exposed. When I was a kid, I owned a copy of his book, Castle, which fired my imagination and drove me to learn everything I could about how medieval fortresses were built and functioned. This one, Mill, is focused largely on Slater's Mill in Rhode Island and the beginnings of the Industrial Revolution in America. Since I grew up in North Smithfield in the very shadow of Slatersville, this was a topic near and dear to my heart, so I made sure I went through this book with my kids when we began a History unit about Industrialization . . .

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

Macaulay describes the various kinds of mills and then goes on to discuss the evolution of textile mills and the industry in New England. The illustrations make it easy for the intended juvenile audience to follow along with what is going on and are marvelous. Macaulay used readers from historic mill villages to ensure the accuracy of his narrative. While the preface of the book makes it clear the mills described in the book itself are imaginary, they are based on mills found in New England during the given time periods.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Macaulay writes and illustrates amazing books. I know way too much about mills now. This one wasn't my favorite to read -- it's a time period and place that interests me a lot less than those of Castle or Mosque or Cathedral. Still, there was amazing historical detail here. I also appreciated how Macaulay didn't shy away from the history of the United States in the 1800s. Dealing with mills in the north, it would have been really easy to gloss over slavery, but instead he shows a history where the mill changes from making rough cloth intended for clothing enslaved people to other goods.

[Maria Rowe · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found the text to be rather dry, and the drawings weren’t as good as Macaulay’s other works. The drawings didn’t support the text that well, and I was confused how mills were built. In his other books, it was clear to me how other structures were made. That being said, I should thought it be somewhat informative and entertaining.

[Kurt H. Cushwa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great sketches

I have loved his work for many years. This is the first time on my Kindle. Being able to zoom in is a real advantage.

[Nick Van · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent Macaulay book. Thorough, clear, and with some poignant human touches.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

A piece of nostalgia. Not as good as Castle, Cathedral or Pyramid but still learned a lot.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish my "adult" books could be this good.

[Aaron Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent. Children’s book, but used in university-level archaeology course.

[Lee]

I just like learning about buildings, I think they're neat.

[Alejandro Teruel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Meticuloso, ameno e instructivo, este libro ilustrado entreteje la historia de la evolución de las fábricas textiles del siglo XIX en Nueva Inglaterra con los acontecimientos sociales, políticos, industriales y tecnológicos de la época.

Este tipo de historias, más que la historia enfocada en próceres y batallas, es la que se requiere para entender de dónde venimos, dónde estamos y hacia donde podríamos dirigirnos.

[Ben Eggleston · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book uses extensive drawings and a smattering of fictional prose (simple short stories) to explain how textile mills along rivers used to be built and operated. The author goes through the construction and operation of three mills, with each being a little larger and more complex than the last.

[Kitap · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book didn't seem that interesting until I realized the book's alternate title could be "Factory." Fictional case study of the evolution of a small, Rhode Island mill-town provides an in-depth look at the Industrial Revolution in terms of the built environment.

[J. · Rating 3 out of 5]

An informative book with beautiful illustrations marred only by being on a tablet scale rather than a full book size. I had a little trouble with the physical placements of the various buildings but think I got them worked out.

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Let's face it: the author of Cathedral, Pyramid and City sort of slipped up here on topic choice...maybe the water wheel is pretty exciting to most people, but not so much to me.

[Connie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Harder to follow as was more engineering-related, but still remarkable. We toured a flour mill at a RAGBRAI stop, and I kept thinking of that day in Independence, Iowa.

[Tom Plaskon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful hand-drawn illustrations. A quick but informative introduction into water and steam-powered textile mills. Very approachable and easy to understand.

[Little Timmy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I know these are written for a younger audience but they are great! Incredible illustrations and information. Highly recommended to a younger reader or an older one starting a new area of intrest

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the creativity of David Macaulay's drawings. Hurray!

[Alex Hogan]

Great tearaway illustrations - wonderful eye candy.