Landscape Architecture: An Introduction

Purchased this as a gift to someone for Christmas. The recipient was very happy (this book was on his amazon wishlist). :D

Fast shipping, book arrived as described.

We use this book for our introduction course at my university. It follows the style we have been employing for the course for the last 20 years, discussing precedent, process, and projects (and we have been looking for a new book, since other efforts are out of print). It is not a highly dense book and a bit simplistic (not overwhelming-- which is good), as it could be a bit more academic (thus the 4 stars); however, it is well illustrated which is important to a visual profession. By reading this book, one will get a good overview of the profession. The book has numerous international examples from sites that our students visit during their study abroad experiences, so it fits well with our intentions. We supplement our course with readings from other authors, but the foundation is this book. Robert Holden is one of Europe's outstanding landscape architects and landscape architectural critics/academics. His expertise is evident throughout the book. Mr. Liversedge is also an experienced landscape architect and academic at the University of Greenwich, one of England's top landscape architecture programs. Robert and Jamie make an excellent co-authoring team. They cite Calvert Vaux, one of the designers of Central Park as an American; however he was born and trained in London, so at our school we call him a British-American. While not mentioned in the book, there is a fair amount of information about the origin of the term landscape architecture first used by a Scot, Gilbert Laing Meason, writing about painters positioning structures within landscapes in Italy, and then redefined and promoted by John Claudius Loudon (another Scot working in London) who probably communicated his ideas to Andrew Jackson Downing, eventually filtering to Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux who fully embellished the notion of the practicing landscape architect. One will not get such detail in this book. Considering the origins of the term with noted UK authorities, it is surprising such history is not mentioned. Still the book is highly valuable for those interested in understanding the foundations and activities of the profession. I have a landscape history book coming out soon, so eventually I will become fair game for critics too. I admire Robert's and Jamie's contribution, especially its breadth. I hope more schools around the world adopt this book. I suspect the authors may be considering a second edition as there are so many other examples that one could include. But it all takes time and this is an excellent first edition.