Fallingwater: A Frank Lloyd Wright Country House,   ISBN:9780896596627

Customer Rating: 

So, we'd just gotten done with the tour at Fallingwater when my wife pointed out the gift shop. We really wanted to get this book while we were there but the $55 price tag seemed a bit high. So, we decided to check out the price on Amazon and saved $20. As for the book itself... it's written by Edgar Kaufmann who was a member of the family that built the house as a summer escape. So, he's quite qualified to write this book and lends a unique perspective as he actually spent time living in this national treasure. The pictures in this book are fantastic as well. If you can't get to Pittsburgh to see Fallingwater, this is the next best thing.

Customer Rating: 

I purchased this wonderful book after a visit to Fallingwater earlier this summer. It is absolutely phenomenal with the interesting details, plans, drawaings and photos of the progress of the design and building of the home. It is the absolute best book and hard to put down because everytime I pick it up my fascination with Fallimgwater is rekindled! I would highly recommend this book for architecture students, persons with an interest in art or anyone wishing to learn more about Frank Lloyd Wright's passion for organic design.

Customer Rating: 

Anyone that wants a complete study of Fallingwater will want this book. Lots of detail. Lots of pictures. Drawings are great.

Customer Rating: 

I admit it, I paid full price for this thing. I'm still glad I did, though I took a big gulp when I bought it. Particularly given that I've built my FLW big photo book collection from discounted used, though excellent condition purchases. I saw this in the store and I just had to have it. It was an indulgence, no question. But I took the plunge.

190 pages. 12 1/4" tall x 9 3/4". The paper dust jacket has two beautiful photos, one each for the front and back of the home in the context of the wood that it is in. The inside covers and facing pages to them have a photo of the creek that the home stradles. This photo is lush in the woods where the home is located. The home is not pictured in this facing page two page sized photo. It is a clear indication that the book was lovingly made. The hardcover itself is white fabric with the title stamped into the front cover just as it appears on the dust jacket.

The author is the son of the people who commisioned the home and it says he, "...entered Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin Fellowship in 1934. During Fallingwater's design and construction, he often served as intermediary between his parents and Wright."

There are 53 full page photos and 30 of those are of a single photo, that is 15 photos, taking up two full facing pages. About 5 of the other 23 full page photos also cover about a third of their facing page. One facing set of pages has one drawing. There are about 27 other pages with color photos. And there is a fold out with front and back each showing a architectural drawing. There are 3 photos of the site before the home was built and a few of the home being constructed, all black and white. There are about 6 architectural drawings and about 10 other drawings including, in the introduction, drawings of woods or buildings in woods. There are 41 pages with black and white photos. There's one extensive ariel photo on two facing pages of the home in the context of a few square miles of the woods in which it is located. There is another ariel photo that is just above the home. The magnificent architectural drawing of the home almost fills two facing pages. Most of the photos are interior shots. The exterior shots give you a real sense of the home in its natural context.

There's only about one page that is all text. There's about 48 pages that have both text and photos. Throughout, the author tells the story of Fallingwater, from inception to completion and into its existance as a home no longer to be lived in but to be shared with any visitor through guided tours. His perspective is a unique one and he tells the story like a professional.

Fallingwater is known as the finest residence in America. This book, completely dedicated to this single building, is worthy of its subject. You can feel the love of the author for his parents, for FLW's work and the love that he put into making this book without it being sappy. If you never get a chance to tour the home this book will be, certainly, the finest opportunity you have to get a complete look at it through and through. I still can't believe I paid full price for it. But, by golly, I'm glad I did. It is virtually a work of art itself. chrisbct@hotmail.com

Customer Rating: 

This is a huge heavy duty book filled with all kinds pictures and information about another of FLW's masterpieces. A great gift!