Brick: A World History by James W. P. Campbell (27-Oct-2003) Hardcover

by James W.P. Campbell

This is the first comprehesive work on brick, the essential building material, and ranges over every culture throughout history. It begins in 5000 BC and comes up to the 20th century. Indispensable to anyone practicing or studying architecture. Foreign Editions

Genres: Architecture, History, Nonfiction, Art

Hardcover

First published November 17, 2003

About the author

Dr. James Campbell is an architect and architectural historian. He has practised as an architect in the United Kingdom, Hong Kong and the United States. He and Frank Salmon together formed the MSt in Building History, a course in the Faculty run jointly with English Heritage.

Dr. Campbell is a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries and Chairman of the Construction History Society. He is Director of Studies and Fellow in both Architecture and History of Art in Queens’ College.

He has appeared on a number of television and radio programmes including Divine Designs (Channel 5), Modern Marvels (the History Channel), Making History (Radio 4), Ancient Megastructures (National Geographic Channel), the Today Programme (Radio 4), Robert Elms show (Radio London), The One Show (BBC 1) and Excess Baggage (Radio 4).

Research Interests

His research focuses on three areas: the development of building construction; 17th architecture (particularly Wren and Hawksmoor); and the history and development of libraries. His PhD looked at the work of Wren and seventeenth-century carpentry. His first book, Brick: a World History(2003), was featured as Guardian ‘book of the week’ and is available in eight languages. His book Building St Paul's(2007) provides an introduction to the key issues in seventeenth century architecture and building construction through a retelling of the story of the building of the cathedral. He has just completed a book on the history of libraries and editing a book on staircases which are both out in autumn 2013.

Reviews

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely breathtaking in every way, and possibly my all time favourite architecture book. Yes, it's huge, but it's got a lot to cover! And this is a true labour of love from the authors - ten trips across the globe over the course of three years, to document and photograph the first archeological findings of brick masonry, to adobe structures and the beauty of Mesopotamian dwellings and tombs. The photography is so stunning, I find myself just locked into a picture, transfixed by the intricate detail and masterly craftsmanship of Indian temples, cool glazed teal and fired orange brick. The book works in a more or less chronological order, ending with the use of modern brick in the 21st century, and attempts by architects to try to reclaim it as a sustainable and useful material, with a creative future. This, amid a world obsessed with glass, steel and concrete. A rare book in that its coffee-table size belies its content, which is well balanced as a (quite hefty) read, to accompany the visuals. If for nothing else, read it to discover the Evry Cathedral of Paris, or the Monadnock building in Chicago (the world's tallest brick skyscraper). Or even better yet, read it for the wonderful section devoted to Dudok's Hilversum Raadhuis, a 1928 masterpiece of bespoke brick that crosses the boundaries of De Stijl and Art Deco. In fact, it set the example from which the British modernist movement followed, for years to come. You have only to go as far as the brick 1930's London Underground stations to see how the vision of the Hilversum town hall guided a nation into a new age of civic, and then pleasure, architecture. If you're a Dudok nut like me, you'll know how hard it is to find a good English commentary on it, let alone with photographs that you've only ever dreamt about; the treatment it deserves. If you aren't obsessed with brick before you begin, you will be by the time you finish.

[Allison · Rating 5 out of 5]

For anyone with a general interest in architectural history or a particular interest in brick, this coffee table-sized book is filled amazing photos and just the right amount of complementary text and technical information (on topics like bonding and joining).

[Jacob · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will never look at buildings the same again.