3.5 stars. Definitely a coffee table book to dip into here and there. Some really interesting stories behind the places, but unsurprisingly there's a 3.5 stars. Definitely a coffee table book to dip into here and there. Some really interesting stories behind the places, but unsurprisingly there's a lot of repetitive islands brought into existence due to errors, that become monotonous, and would have been better with condensed descriptions as it is not trying to be an academic record. Taking the accuracy of some of it with a pinch of salt, having looked up a few of them while reading, and also seeing that some of the images are uncredited. ...more
3.5 stars. At times this is very evocative and interesting, at others it slightly wallows in facts and I ended up skimming a little. There is also a b3.5 stars. At times this is very evocative and interesting, at others it slightly wallows in facts and I ended up skimming a little. There is also a bit of a 1960s attitude and perspective that comes through, but that is what to be expected given its age. It is interesting how the parts that focus on modern Venice (at the time it was written) have now become history in themselves and instead of being part travel guide on modern Venice and part history, it is part recent history and part older history. Of course, unlike many places the architecture has stayed much the same but the culture described and the people and tourists are quite different. As I found with Oxford it does head down the somewhat romanticised and apocryphal route at times, without really saying its doing that, but it adds to its charm, and as it becomes a historical account itself as time progress, it adds a layer of narrative and fable. For those parts in that engaging style I felt I couldn't quite give it 3 stars only....more
An interesting take on Oxford with some gentle humour. The focus is a little too much on the nature and he quotes a little too often for my fancy. I tAn interesting take on Oxford with some gentle humour. The focus is a little too much on the nature and he quotes a little too often for my fancy. I think perhaps because of this interest in the parks and surrounds of Oxford I wonder how interesting it would be to someone who does not know the place. It is nice to have some focus on smaller details and more unusual ones though.
It is strange in some ways how much has changed and yet how much is the same. The buildings have not changed, and the views in his illustrations (sadly only reproduced in black and white) and instantly recognisable. There is still a peacock at the Trout!
He quotes from a letter to him from Sir William Milner: 'The underlying note of Oxford is her agelessness; she has grown old in body, but her spirit never changed. It is her changelessness that is the key-note of Oxford.'
However the ways of life and the people are quite different: 'I do not know why High Street is so empty on Sunday mornings nor why the 'buses should not run before twelve o'clock.'
I have read before of how quiet Oxford used to be at such times and think how nice it would be if that feeling of peace could still be found easily. For now if you want to experience that you would have to be there before 6am on a summer's morning! The stillness among the beautiful architecture makes it a very different experience, like a view of a natural landscape.
I love this beautiful image he depicts:
'In China our professional artists or craftsman used to carve large pieces of white ivory into models of famous buildings, such as the Peking Palace or the Temple of Heaven, with streets and people to the minutest detail. I have been fortunate enough to see a few of theses, and the snow-covered Oxford High, with its yellow stone, resembled one of these exquisite ivory carvings, yellowed with age. I was happy to have discovered such affinity between Oxford and Ancient China.'...more
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