Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Throughout the long history of building, the simple brick has served many functions in many guises. This is a study of this universal building material, throughout history and around the world. As well as tracing the long and remarkable story of the many uses of the brick, it surveys the myriad designs possible in brick architecture and the techniques of brick fabrication, and examines the engineering properties of brickwork when used as a major structural component - from the simple garden wall to the arch, to the mediaeval cathedral. A comprehensive technical section covers materials and construction techniques - brick types, their manufacture, selection of which brick for which job, construction techniques (mortars, jointing, pointing and bonding), structural techniques (walls, buttresses, corbelling, cornices, arches and vaults) and conservation.

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

• Introduction (p. 7)
• The History of Brick (p. 9)
• Brick Design (p. 75)
• Materials and Construction Methods (p. 161)
• Glossary (p. 203)
• Bibliography (p. 219)
• Index (p. 221)
• Acknowledgements (p. 224)

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Library Journal Review

Using a smooth-flowing text and over 115 color photos of brick buildings and brickwork from all over the world, British architect Plumridge and Dutch art historian Meulenkamp provide an excellent introduction to the subject on two levels. They address, first, brick making and the development of brick construction and, second, how certain brick shapes, colors, and uses can add to the design features of a building. Using over 70 drawings, the authors cover basic information on brick manufacturing as well as construction methods using bricks in footings, bonds, caps, and arches. While an interesting addition to any collection, this quarto volume will be of most use to those serving architects, builders, preservationists, and artists.-- W.T. Johnston, formerly with Coastal Plain Regional Lib., Tifton, Ga. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

CHOICE Review

This is a wonderful book on an important subject for architects and connoisseurs of architecture. It traces the history of brickwork, some fundamentals of design, and construction methods. Written by a British architect and a Dutch art historian, it is by no means provincial, but it does concentrate on English examples of this almost ubiquitous building material. Well written, well researched, and well illustrated, it seems to be unique; no other book covers brickwork quite so comprehensively with so many sumptuous color illustrations. Ronald V. Brunskill's Brick Building in Britain (1990) is geographically limited, and Karl Gurcke's fascinating Bricks and Brickmaking (CH, Apr'88) concentrates on American subject matter. General; advanced undergraduate; professional. P. Kaufman; Boston College

Booklist Review

Bricks are the world's favorite building material, whether they're made by hand or by machine, hardened in the sun or in a kiln. This handsomely illustrated tribute to the humble yet versatile brick begins with a historical survey of brick constructions from the great brick ziggurats of Mesopotamia to the amazingly sophisticated brick structures of China and Rome. Photographs and text move through the centuries, chronicling different styles in different cultures, from Islam's intricate brick techniques to Germany's early "brick towns." Bricks were often hidden beneath marble and stucco until they came into their own as an integral element of visible design. The history lesson is followed by a section that categorizes bricks by texture, shape, color, and size and describes the design of brick arches, domes, pillars, chimneys, corbels, and plinths. Examples of the patterns used in brick paving and in buildings that combine brick with decorative elements made of terracotta, stone, and glazed tile are shown and discussed. This unusual volume is a celebration of the durability and beauty of brickwork and is bound to please readers with an interest in architecture, design, and preservation. ~--Donna Seaman