Vanishing Histories: 100 Endangered Sites from the World Monuments Watch

Publishers Weekly

Stewarding world history and culture, the World Monument Fund offers both a warning call and a reassurance in Vanishing Histories: 100 Endangered Sites from the World Monuments Watch by Colin Amory with Brian Curran. From Vienna's baroque Belvedere Gardens, Tbilisi's Ottoman-influenced historic district in the republic of Georgia and the 13th-century terraced vineyards in Liguria, Italy, to Cambodia's 12th-century Banteay Chhmar Temple of Jayavarman VII, Cairo's ancient public water distribution centers and Peru's Machu Picchu, the authors provide brief descriptions of the origins, uses, decline and, in many cases, restoration of sites all over the world. Buildings on the south end of Ellis Island, right under New Yorkers' noses, are dangerously fragile and await planned preservation; Colorado's Mesa Verde National Park has undergone extensive preservation efforts. Thoughtful presentation and 222 beautiful photographs (138 in color) make this an ideal gift for travelers and historians. (Nov.) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Library Journal

The World Monuments Fund (WMF) is an international organization that preserves and safeguards the historic, artistic, and architectural heritage of humankind. This important and beautifully illustrated work coincides with the WMF's biennial Watch List, which identifies 100 of the most imperiled treasures of the world. Amery, an architectural correspondent for the London Financial Times, has joined forces with Curran, director of projects for the WMF, to list and describe each of the endangered sites and to offer a call to save a number of historical monuments, including Prague's historic center, Peru's Machu Picchu, Cambodia's Angkor Archaelogical District, St. Petersburg's Alexander Palace, Colorado's Mesa Verde, and various other churches, synagogues, fortresses, monasteries, and archaeological sites. Poignantly dedicated to the memory of all the vanished monuments, specifically the two giant Buddhas of Bamiyan in Afghanistan, destroyed this year by the Taliban government, the book features 239 striking photographs, 150 in full color, and includes an excellent index and table of contents. Highly recommended for travel, architecture, and even history collections. Melinda Stivers Leach, Precision Editorial Svcs., Wondervu, CO Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.