Power in Stone

Cities as Symbols of Empire

Nonfiction, Art & Architecture, Architecture, History
Cover of the book Power in Stone by Geoffrey Parker, Reaktion Books
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Geoffrey Parker ISBN: 9781780233260
Publisher: Reaktion Books Publication: April 15, 2014
Imprint: Reaktion Books Language: English
Author: Geoffrey Parker
ISBN: 9781780233260
Publisher: Reaktion Books
Publication: April 15, 2014
Imprint: Reaktion Books
Language: English

From ancient Persia to the Third Reich, imperial powers have built cities in their image, seeking to reflect their power and influence through a show of magnificence and a reflection of their values. Statues, pictures, temples, palaces—all combine to produce the necessary justification for the wielding of power while intimidating opponents. In Power in Stone, Geoffrey Parker traces the very nature of power through history by exploring the structural symbolism of these cities.
 
Traveling from Persepolis to Constantinople, Saint Petersburg to Beijing and Delhi, Parker considers how these structures and monuments were brought together to make the most powerful statement and how that power was wielded to the greatest advantage. He examines imperial leaders, their architects, and their engineers to create a new understanding of the relationship among buildings, design, and power. He concludes with a look at the changing nature of power in the late twentieth and twenty-first centuries and the way this is reflected symbolically in contemporary buildings and urban plans. With illuminating images, Power in Stone is a fascinating history of some of the world’s most intriguing cities, past and present.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

From ancient Persia to the Third Reich, imperial powers have built cities in their image, seeking to reflect their power and influence through a show of magnificence and a reflection of their values. Statues, pictures, temples, palaces—all combine to produce the necessary justification for the wielding of power while intimidating opponents. In Power in Stone, Geoffrey Parker traces the very nature of power through history by exploring the structural symbolism of these cities.
 
Traveling from Persepolis to Constantinople, Saint Petersburg to Beijing and Delhi, Parker considers how these structures and monuments were brought together to make the most powerful statement and how that power was wielded to the greatest advantage. He examines imperial leaders, their architects, and their engineers to create a new understanding of the relationship among buildings, design, and power. He concludes with a look at the changing nature of power in the late twentieth and twenty-first centuries and the way this is reflected symbolically in contemporary buildings and urban plans. With illuminating images, Power in Stone is a fascinating history of some of the world’s most intriguing cities, past and present.

More books from Reaktion Books

Cover of the book Fashion by Geoffrey Parker
Cover of the book Weeds by Geoffrey Parker
Cover of the book Paul Cézanne by Geoffrey Parker
Cover of the book With the Hand by Geoffrey Parker
Cover of the book The Destruction of Art by Geoffrey Parker
Cover of the book Constantin Brancusi by Geoffrey Parker
Cover of the book Portraiture by Geoffrey Parker
Cover of the book Dishing It Out by Geoffrey Parker
Cover of the book Mark Twain by Geoffrey Parker
Cover of the book Sex and Buildings by Geoffrey Parker
Cover of the book Elephant by Geoffrey Parker
Cover of the book Dreamtelling by Geoffrey Parker
Cover of the book Joseph Cornell's Vision of Spiritual Order by Geoffrey Parker
Cover of the book Russia by Geoffrey Parker
Cover of the book Rocks, Ice and Dirty Stones by Geoffrey Parker
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy