I am in the process of reviewing textbooks for use in a general History of Architecture course. This book seems comprehensive, well-organized, and provides clear illustrations. For the price, it is a good value. Additionally, it will serve well as a textbook (alongside the other volume by the same title). I know of several other instructors who use these volumes and although their students respond that it isn't the best book - I recommend it for the price and the amount of material it covers. Vol. 1 - 1607-1860; Vol. 2 1860-1976. --- Specifically, I do not like: some of the chapter titles: (Vol. 2) specifically "Proud and Soaring Things". Also, there are no color images; although this is a small inconvenience (and again, the price makes up for this problem). Yet, as an instructor needing to make slides, it's helpful to have a color image with high resolution to make reproductions for use in class.