Francesco di Giorgio Martini is one of the few fifteenth century Sienese artists who became known outside his native city. Working at the courts of Urbino, Naples and Milan, he was a typical Renaissance uomo universale but his major achievements were in military and civil architecture, complemented by the composition of a theoretical treatise. The collection of essays does not offer a comprehensive study of the artist's architectural oeuvre, but rather emphasizes the partial nature of the scholarly endeavor so far undertaken. The essays discuss Francesco's theory, his drawings from the antique, the individual characteristics of his practice, and the reception of his work. They share a common idea: invention, which emerges as a valid theoretical framework, possibly the only one capable of encompassing Francesco di Giorgio's versatile accomplishments.

When its first covered bridge was constructed on the Ashtabula-Trumbull Turnpike in 1832, Ashtabula County was closer to frontier than a "new Connecticut." Its rutted roads promised adventure and suggested prosperity but also great hardship. Covered bridges, made mostly of local timber, would eventually soften the brutality of travel, isolation and a well-watered landscape. Their proliferation and preservation gave Ashtabula County the nickname "Covered Bridge Capital of the Western Reserve." Admire both famous and forgotten crossings with Carl E. Feather, who has spent over a quarter century mired in muddy creek beds, camera in hand, waiting for the perfect light."

In this fascinating and richly illustrated book, John Henderson takes us into the Renaissance hospitals of Florence, recreating the enormous barn-like wards and exploring the lives of those who received and those who administered treatment there. Drawing on an exceptional range of visual and documentary evidence, Henderson overturns the popular view of the pre-industrial hospital as a hellish destination for the dying poor. To the contrary, hospitals of the era developed specialized, professional care; became important centers of artistic patronage; and served a large patient population, only ten percent of whom died during their stay. The book explores the civic role of Renaissance hospitals, their beautiful architecture and interior design, and their methods of medical treatment that continue to influence healthcare practices today.

Originally published in 1904, this early work on Brickwork and Masonry is both expensive and hard to find in its first edition. This is a fascinating read and contains much information that is still useful and practical today. With chapters on Foundations, Vaulting, Arches and many more as well as illustrations this work is thoroughly recommended for inclusion on the bookshelf of all Masioners. Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.

Originally published in 1914, it is the authors desire and intent; to cover the subject of Architectural drawing, comprehensively, practically and clearly. Despite its age, this works contains much information that is still practical and useful today. Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900's and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.

How the scientific community overlooked, ignored, and denied the catastrophic fallout of decades of nuclear testing in the American West In December of 1950, President Harry Truman gave authorization for the Atomic Energy Commission to conduct weapons tests and experiments on a section of a Nevada gunnery range. Over the next eleven years, more than a hundred detonations were conducted at the Nevada Test Site, and radioactive debris dispersed across the communities just downwind and through much of the country. In this important work, James C. Rice tells the hidden story of nuclear weapons testing and the negligence of the US government in protecting public health. Downwind of the Atomic State focuses on the key decisions and events shaping the Commission's mismanagement of radiological contamination in the region, specifically on how the risks of fallout were defined and redefined, or, importantly, not defined at all, owing to organizational mistakes and the impetus to keep atomic testing going at all costs. Rice shows that although Atomic Energy Commission officials understood open-air detonations injected radioactive debris into the atmosphere, they did not understand, or seem to care, that the radioactivity would irrevocably contaminate these communities. The history of the atomic Southwest should be a wake-up call to everyone living in a world replete with large, complex organizations managing risky technological systems. The legacy of open-air detonations in Nevada pushes us to ask about the kinds of risks we are unwittingly living under today. What risks are we being exposed to by large organizations under the guise of security and science?

This compendium of primary sources examines British architectural history from the accession of King George III in 1760 to the outbreak if the First World War in 1914. The collection of two volumes contains a mixture of architectural treatises, biographical material on architects, works on different types of building, and contemporary descriptions of individual buildings. This title will be of great interest to students of Art History and Architecture.