Previous edition: 2011. First edition published in 1986.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 720-724) and index.

Mesopotamia and Egypt -- The classical foundation : Greek, Hellenistic, Roman -- Early Christian and Byzantine -- Carolingian and Romanesque -- The Gothic experiment -- Renaissance harmony -- Baroque expansion -- Eighteenth-century classicism -- The nineteenth-century -- Art nouveau -- The twentieth century -- The twenty-first century.

Traces the history of western architecture from the earliest times in Mesopotamia and Egypt to the eclectic styles of the twenty-first century. The author emphasizes that "traditional architecture has re-established itself as a solution to the many problems presented by new needs and new materials ... the classical language of architecture is always modern. ... This new edition covers.. [structures] in [other areas of the world] as products of globalization, the attention paid to sustainability, energy; recycling elements of buildings; the passion for astonishing height but also architecture on a human scale, and urban planning [issues]