Not Built in a Day: Exploring the Architecture of Rome

I received "Not Built in a Day" as a gift just prior to a recent trip to Rome. As a student of "Rome," and art history I was initially intrigued by the biographical nature of the book, but upon reading I was thrilled by the level of detail and informed opinion offered by Mr. Sullivan. The edifices offered up in the book are carefully selected -- curated is perhaps a better description -- well researched and at times wonderfully controversial. Mr Sullivan even reveals a few off-the-beaten-path gems.

I must also comment on the architectural illustrations provided in the book; contrary to most architectural surveys (I would not demean this book by calling it merely a travel guide), there are no photographs in the book. Rather, the author has brilliantly selected engravings ("veduti") produced in the 18th and 19th centuries of particular buildings--illustrating the buildings and their surroundings in their prime and prior to any 20th century urban planning errors--smart!

"Not Built in a Day" is great for students of art history, the casual traveler and even the jaded academic--all should love and enjoy it-- I certainly did.

George Sullivan's "Not Built in a Day" has many virtues. It is well-organized (as a series of walking tours); it is well indexed (to enable the reader to organize his/her own study; it is written fluently--neither densely scholarly nor "tour book breathless," each mini-essay captures the history of a building and its context in a direct straight-forward way. But the real difference between this book and so many others is that each essay--whether brief or more extended (like one on the Pantheon)--both reveals and encourages in the reader a careful "reading" of each building itself. I was especially interested in Bernini and Borromini's designs, and NBIAD was as good as any textbook could have been in guiding my eye as I studied the aesthetic relationship between these two acclaimed architects of baroque Rome. Anyone really interested in understanding architectural composition in Rome will find a worthy friend in this book.

Fabulous for those who have been to Rome. Mandates that you return to see it anew and deeper. Great job.

My wife and I recently returned from Rome, and one of our many fine moments in that glorious city was sitting on top of Michelangelo's Campodiglio, with Mr. Sullivan's book in hand and understanding for the first time exactly what Michelangelo did and why -- and thus helping us understand more deeply the greatness of his accomplishment. So it went with magnificent works such as Borromini's San Carlino or Bramante's Tempietto. Similarly, we came to understand the failures -- what the architect wanted to do and didn't quite get there. Mr. Sullivan's goal, was to help us move beyond admiration or puzzlement at what we are looking at, and understand what was done, and how well it did or did not work. Very well written, tough in its judgments, and infused throughout by a love for the city. Don't go to Rome without it.

A good read for those who love history, it is an excellent companion for travel to Rome