Reading Curtis's book was a joy: he continually finds a greater expression to categorize or conceptualize a movement than many of use could dream up. Whether this is due to his own talent for distilling the motives of designers, or due to a very selective editor, I am unsure. Unlike a variety of books which seek to cover architectural history, this one is lively and at times provocative. What I found most appealing was Curtis's frequent inclusion of the ideational content of the architecture, a view of architecture as a result of so many cultural forces, which explains why some formal expressions enjoyed popularity in certain eras.
For an author aiming to take the 20th century in a single book, I think he has been guilty of few major omissions. His treatment of Mexican and Indian architects does seem to be outside the flow of content which envelopes the remainder of the book; He does not, however, attempt to unite all of the programs of the twentieth century into one attractive and finely packaged narrative.
In this book you will find lengthier treatments of Wright, Corbu, and Russian Constructivists to name a few. His thorough approach and keen insight appear to waver in the final chapters, as more modern figures are discussed, but in all honesty, a detailed analysis often requires a historical distance that has not yet come to pass.
His breakdown of chapters is, at times, not so clean as would be expected.
It is a demanding and involving book, requiring effort from the reader. It is not a volume that can be lightly perused. But again, it is highly rewarding.
