An Outline of European Architecture by Nikolaus Pevsner

It is a most wonderful book on the architectural history of Europe, even if the subject is not exactly your cup of tea. The photographs are great, and information rich and interesting, and the organization of the text splendid. I highly recommend it to anyone who appreciates art and history of Europe from this angle.

Read this book; it is quite simply stunning and makes a complicated subject seem simple ( well I understood it ). The ' Introduction ' alone is more than worth the purchase; it is often quoted and reproduced as a seminal article. A treat.

I've read dozens of books on the history of architecture, and this is the best introduction to the subject I've ever encountered, despite the fact that it is now over half a century old. I used this book intensively on a three-month trip to western and eastern Europe some years ago, and it was a great help in appreciating all the many important buildings we encountered, especially the Gothic cathedrals and early Renaissance Italian architecture. As the back cover says, Sir Nicholas is reckoned one of the most stimulating writers on architecture alive, and I would have to agree with that. His great enthusiasm for his subject is contagious, and his descriptions of important buildings are often nothing short of inspired. This is truly a great book by a great scholar.