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RICHARD MURGATROYD enjoys a readable account of the life and meditations of one of the few Roman emperors with a good reputation
Ugliness and Judgement: On Architecture in the Public Eye by Timothy Hyde
Ugly but entertaining truths about architectural controversies over the last three centuries
ALEX HALL asks whether intelligence, and stupidity, are the outcomes of poverty and wealth, and cultural norms
BRENT CUTLER is persuaded by a new account of the rise of Christianity, and the fall of the Roman empire
If non-human nature is devoid of value under the capitalist mode of production, this book presents the case for its reintegration, suggests HENRY BELL
The Bard takes issue with a BBC portrait of The Balkans, and sets the record straight
ANGUS REID urges you to visit Britain’s most remarkable - and mind-blowing - festival of contemporary music
MARIA DUARTE reviews Desperate Journey, Blue Moon, Pillion, and Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
THE CONSEQUENCES of some buildings being considered “ugly” and the social impact of such aesthetic judgement over three centuries in Britain are explored in this engaging study by Timothy Hyde.
En route, Hyde considers architectural controversies in London surrounding the gothic revival Houses of Parliament, the brutalist concrete of the South Bank and the historicist novelty of No 1 Poultry.
They became embroiled in art, science, religion, political economy and government, with architects as diverse as Christopher Wren, John Soane, James Stirling and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe summoned by would-be august tribunals of aesthetic judgement in Parliament, the courts and public inquiries.
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Paul MacGee of Manifesto Press invites you to a special launch on Saturday August 2.
HENRY BELL notes the curious confluence of belief, rebuilding and cheap materials that gave rise to an extraordinary number of modernist churches in post-war Scotland
The Star's critic MARIA DUARTE recommends an epic exploration of the post war immigrant experience in the US
Two books and a film that examine cultural excavation and the impact of place on behaviour