Warsaw

(Paperback)

Publishing Details

Classifications

Physical Properties

Description

Avoiding the predictable pathways of conventional architectural and urban history writing, David Crowley reveals Warsaw's visual and urban cultural history through narrative and anecdote, telling stories of the everyday, albeit in extraordinary circumstances. "Warsaw" examines the ways in which the fabric of the city has been shaped by Communist ideology since the late 1940s, and shows how the city has been spectacularly transformed since the introduction of a market economy in 1989. It also reflects on the ways in which the citizens of Warsaw use and enrich their living areas and the city they inhabit. In Warsaw, the past runs deep, and buildings are marked by myths and curses. David Crowley acts as our guide through this scarred yet uplifting terrain.

Reviews

With an admirable grasp of Polish history, essential to understanding this not immediately appealing city, David Crowley explains the complex background to the grey pre -1989 environment and changes since. * ArchitectsJournal *
The book is engaging, readable, and enjoyable. It made me feel as if I were being shown around Warsaw by a friend who was a long term resident. * Geography *

Author Bio

David Crowley is Head of the School of Visual Culture at the National College of Art and Design, Dublin. He is the author of National Style and Nation-state: Design in Poland from the Vernacular Revival to the International Style (1992) and Socialism and Style: Material Culture in Post-war Eastern Europe (2000).