Product Description

In the manner of Rizzoli's acclaimed Historic Houses of the Hudson Valley, Great Houses of Florida presents the greatest and most intriguing houses of the state. Including John and Mabel Ringling's fabulous Venetian Palazzo Ca d'Zan, James Deering's spectacular Italianate Villa Vizcaya in Miami, and the Audubon and Hemingway houses in Key West. With all new color photography, this lavish book provides a rare look into the very finest houses from the one-time premier winter playground of America's rich and famous.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #176813 in Books
• Published on: 2008-10-07
• Released on: 2008-10-07
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 256 pages

Review
"The authors provide a great deal of historical material about each featured home....Architectural or design fans will especially appreciate this excellent work." ~Newsday

"Readers get a visual sense of the richness of Floridian architecture through the 220 color photographs by Steven Brooke." ~The Gainesville Sun


"The book's you-are-there photography will tempt lovers of history, architecture, and interior design to take it off the coffee table and give it some lap time." ~Sarasota Herald Tribune

"Thirty-four houses are featured, not only because they are open to the public, but because they continue to exert a powerful influence on the iconography and architecture of the state." ~Scripps Treasure Coast Newspapers


“(Traveling around Florida) would take some time (and money), so I’ve settled for a little literary travel by way of the new book “Great Houses of Florida” by Beth Dunlop and Joanna Lombard. Thirty-four houses are featured, not only because they are open to the public, but because they continue to exert a powerful influence on the iconography and architecture of the state.” ~Press Journal

About the Author
Beth Dunlop is the author of Miami: Mediterranean Splendor and Deco Dreams. She is editor-in-chief of Home Miami magazine and an award-winning architecture critic of The Miami Herald. Joanna Lombard is a practicing architect and professor at the University of Miami School of Architecture. She is co-author and co-curator of the book and exhibition The Historic Landscapes of Florida. Steven Brooke is a fellow of the American Academy in Rome and winner of the A.I.A. National Institute Honor Award for photography.

Customer Reviews

Great Houses of Florida
This book should be titled The Great Houses of Dade County. Once the writers finally get north of Fort Lauderdale the text, written like a critique in the Miami Herald, starts to get interesting. The obvious omission of Henry Flagler's Whitehall in Palm Beach seems both intentional and bizarre. The last minute inclusion of a few houses in North Florida seems haphazard and once again poorly researched and written. Lets hope that some day more competent authors will address this important chapter in Florida history.

SPECTACULAR FLORIDA
This book, like the Great Houses of the Hudson River Valley, is well done and nicely put to together. It's not a great book, like, Great Houses of Long Island, but it's well worth a look. It covers most of Florida's famous houses, most importantly, James Deering's Viscaya. Really any discussion on great houses in Florida, begins and ends with this Coconut Grove Icon. The text is informative, not exactly scholarly, but informative, none the less. The images are vivid and well presented. If you have any interest in Florida or interesting, often spectacular houses, then I believe you will be pleased with this book.