Interior Design Books

A proper perspective on the question of the failed German revolutionary socialist opportunities starting in 1918 after the debacle of German defeat in World War I, the overthrow of the Kaiser and the establishment of a democratic republic until 1923 with the failure of the revolutionary opportunities resulting from the French reparations crisis is the subject of on-going controversy among revolutionaries. At the time most European revolutionaries, especially the Russians, placed their strategic aspirations on the success of those efforts in Germany. A different outcome during that period, with the establishment of a German Workers Republic, would have changed the course of world history in many ways, not the least of which would have been the probable saving of the isolated Russian socialist revolution and defeating German fascism in the embryo.

Since then, beginning with the Trotsky-led Russian Left Opposition in 1923 and later the International Left Opposition, revolutionaries as well as others have cut their teeth on developing an analysis of the failure of revolutionary leadership as a primary cause for that aborted German revolution. Against that well-known analysis, more recently a whole cottage industry has developed, particularly around the British journal Revolutionary History, giving encouragement to latter day hand wringing about the prospects (or lack of prospects) at that time and drawing the lesson that a revolution in Germany then could not have happened. To buttress that argument the writings on the prospects of the 1923 revolution by August Thalheimer, a central theoretician and key adviser to party leader Brandler in this period, have been warmly resurrected and particularly boosted. This kind of analysis, however, gets revolutionaries nowhere. It is one thing for those on the ground at the time in Germany and in the Comintern to miss the obvious signals for revolution it is another for later `revolutionaries' to provide retrospective political cover for those who refused to see and act on the revolutionary opportunities at the time. The events surrounding the failed German revolution were also echoed in what was called the `literary debate' inside the Russian Communist Party in 1924 at a time when the internal struggle, after the death of Lenin, was getting to a white heat. While at this historical distance it is probably impossible to argue all of the specifics of the revolutionary crisis of 1923 some lessons stick out.

A quick sketch of events beginning from the start of World War I with the famous treachery of the German Social Democratic leadership in voting for the Kaiser's war budget (and continuing to vote for it) are in some ways decisive for what happened in 1923. Later, facing the consequences of the defeat of the German army, war exhaustion and the possibility of harsh reprisals from the Allied forces the Kaiser's government was overthrown shortly after the armistice was signed and the fight was on in earnest for the future of Germany. That question however was not decided until the German working class had been subdued and or brought off with a bourgeois democratic republic, the notorious Weimar Republic. Unlike the earlier Russian experience in 1917 no independent mobilization of the working class through Soviets or other pan-working class organizations was established. And that is the rub. This is the start of the problem. No Bolshevik-type organization was present to take advantage of the revolutionary situation. What is worst, the forces that did exist led by the heroic martyrs Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht were defeated and they personally were tragically and ominously murdered. Thus, a known and tested leadership was an essential missing ingredient that was to have consequences all the way through to 1923.

When a German Bolshevik-type organization finally was formed it contained many elements that were subjectively revolutionary but political naïve or disoriented, and suffered from anarchistic excesses in reaction to the stifling Social Democratic atmosphere of the pre-war period. While a party needs those subjectively elements to make the revolution and this writer would argue that it cannot be made without them this confusion gave the reformist Social Democratic party plenty of ammunition for its reformist, parliamentary position. The key result of this lack of organization and proper preparededness was the so- called March action of 1921. Unlike the overwhelming reaction of the German working class to the attempted Kopp Coup of the previous year this was an action that went off half -cocked and did much to discredit communists in the eyes of the working class. The sorry results of this action had reverberations all the way up to the Communist International where Lenin and Trotsky were forced to defend the action in public, expel the former German party leader Paul Levi for a breech of discipline for his open criticism of the action (while it was going on) but also point out that it was the wrong way to go. In any case one cannot understand what happened (or did not happen) in 1923 without acknowledging the gun shyness of the Communist party leadership caused by the 1921 events.

So what is the specific argument of 1923 all about? Was there or was there not a realistic revolutionary opportunity to fight for a Soviet Germany which would have gone a long way to saving the Russian Revolution? On the face of it this question is a no-brainer. Of course there was a revolutionary situation. If the disruptions caused by the French take-over in the Ruhr to obtain their war reparations and the resultant passive resistance policy of the German government and the later inflationary spiral that affected many layers of German society was not a classic revolutionary situation then there are none this side of heaven. End of story.

The real question that underlines any argument against a revolutionary crisis is what to do alternatively about it. This is where the previous "ultra' policies of the German Communist Party came into play. The party remained passive at a time when it was necessary for action. The leadership, including our friend Thalheimer, acted as if a revolutionary crisis would last for a prolonged period and that they had all the time in the world. They caught Zinoviev's disease (named for the Bolshevik leader who always seemed instinctively to go passive when it was necessary for action, and visa versa. Moreover, most critically they did not take advantage of the decline in the authority of the Social Democratic Party in order to win over the mass of the rank and file of that body that were leaving it in droves. That is where the preceding events described above come in. The destruction of the authoritative leadership of Luxemburg and Liebknecht left a lesser layer not known for an aggressive strategy when called for. It is hard to believe that Luxemburg and Liebknecht would have responded in the same way as the Brandler/Thalheimer leadership. I would argue if anything Liebknecht would have had to be restrained a little. This is, in the final analysis, the decisive problem of the failure of the German Revolution in 1923. Nobody can predict whether a revolutionary crisis will lead to revolutionary success but one must certainly know when to move as the Bolsheviks did.

And what of the other reasons given for holding back. The fascists were a menace but hardly more than that. Damn, if they were really as much of a menace as right-wing social democrats and communists have portrayed the situation in 1923 what the hell were the fascists in say 1930, when they had 100,000 well-organized and fighting mad storm troopers in the streets. With that view the only rational policy for Communist would have been to make sure the German working class had its passports in order. As we tragically know there are never enough passports. And what of the German Army? The army was not that big even if augmented by `unofficial' paramilitary forces. It definitely would have been harder to split these forces along class lines. But workers militias would have at least been able to hold the line. And do not forget the more than willing Red Army was within a few days march to assist. As the Bolshevik Revolution and the ensuing Civil demonstrated in the final analysis a revolution is victorious or defeated outside the influence of whatever foreign forces are scheming against the regime.

And what about the internal capitalist opposition? And what about the stabilization of the economic situation? One can go on forever with the problems and talk oneself out of any action. While all these factors by themselves might argue against a revolutionary crisis in 1923 jointly they create the notion that this was a big revolutionary opportunity lost. That should make one suspicious, very suspicious, of the credentials of those `revolutionaries' who argue that one did not exist. Read more on this subject.

This is not the first book you should read about the German revolution - it's the last.

Clocking in at 980 pages, the book relies on a ton of primary sources in German but this doesn't overwhelm the gripping story of the revolutionary upheavals that rocked Germany from 1918-1923. The revolution was a product of a combination of a factors: the slaughter of WWI intensified class antagonisms, eventually leading to huge cuts in wages and near-starvation rationing; the main working-class organizations, the unions and the millions-strong Social Democratic Party (SPD), supported the war despite its repeated pledges not to participate in the murder of workers of other countries; the victorious workers' revolution in neighboring Russia in October, 1917, led by Lenin, Trotsky, and the Bolshevik party.

The enormous discontent with the war exploded when 80,000 sailors were given orders to attack the British navy in a suicidal maneuver. They refused and instead arrested their officers, traveling on trains to the nearest towns to spread the news of their mutiny. Once there, they set up the first workers' and sailors' council in Germany, and within days, workers, soldiers, and sailors across the country followed their example and set up councils across the country. They were emulating the Russians, who set up workers and soldiers councils (Soviet is the Russian word for council) and eventually put all power into the hands of those councils. The reformist SPD rushed to the head of the council movement to disorient, demobilize, and contain it within the framework of capitalism.

The outcome of the struggle between revolution and counter-revolution in Germany over the next five years was of enormous importance for European and world history. The failure of the German working class to take power into its own hands left Soviet Russia isolated and starving after a murderous civil war, in which 14 foreign governments (including the U.S.) sent troops and aided the pro-capitalist White Armies, leading to the deaths of millions of workers and peasants. With the working class largely eliminated as a social force, the party/state bureaucracy became the new ruling class and eventually re-introduced capitalist exploitation back into Russia under Stalin.

The second consequence of leaving capitalism intact was the Great Depression of the 1930s, in which Hitler and the Nazis were given power by Germany's ruling class to smash the workers' movement, re-arm, and end the Depression on terms favorable to big business. Had the German workers seized power in the early 1920s, history might not have known the names of Hitler and Stalin.

To return to the book: each line on each page of each chapter is so well written that it not only gives the reader a crystal clear picture of the problems and challenges posed by the revolution, it's almost as if you are there with the armed, angry workers marching through the streets of Berlin in 1918, or organizing a clandestine literature distribution circle on a naval cruiser in 1917, or in a mass meeting of delegates from workers' and soldiers' councils debating whether or not to seize power.

This book is definitely worth the money. It shows what happens when an experienced revolutionary organization with significant roots in the working class is not built before a revolution breaks out; it shows how reformist organizations can obstruct and sabotage struggle; and it shows how ruthless and cunning the ruling class can be when their power and wealth are threatened. I would recommend reading Chris Harman's "the Lost Revolution" to familiarize oneself with the events, people, and parties before you take on this book. Also, Sebastian Haffner's "Failure of a Revolution: Germany 1918-1919" is short and excellent, and it has pictures of the events and the people in question.

Flood's book is THE standard book on this, one of the only remaining examples of Ummayid religious architecture and practically the only intact mosque from the formative years of Islam. The only way it could be improved would be to have a large portfolio of color illustrations of the mosaic decoration, the work of Byzantine artists brought directly form Constantinople.

This book presents a truly comprehensive account of the Great Mosque of Damascus; from a consideration of both ornament and structure, the author traces the formations of an Umayyad visual culture in an innovative and most illuminating way. The links the author makes between Umayyad caliphate and Byzantium are truly ingenious in their setting of not only the historical context, but also through a reading of the formal and "archival" evidence within the very architecture. In the field of Art History, and specifically, Islamic Art History, this work is destined to be revolutionary and classic all at once.

Me parece muy interesante todas las colecciones que Uds. posee

This is an excellent book on greek style. It is considered a classic and fully captures the essence of the country. The book is full of pictures and a great addition for your collection or to give as a gift. It has been also recommended by To Vima book reviews as one of the best books on greek style. The only option for order is through amazon.uk where I have been ordering copies for the last 2 years since the us site has never had it available!

I bought this book when it had just come out and I was newly married. Ive used it so much that it is in tatters, but I still treasure it. The information and illustrations of storage closets, kitchens, general home layouts, etc. are still as useful and inspiring today as they were back in the 1950s. Their sections on choices and care of products for the home: floors, etc are still valid. Their discussions of time and motion techniques in cooking, house cleaning, bed making, etc. are outstanding. I still refer to it frequently. This book is like a dear old friend and has influenced my life for 50 some odd years. It is one of the 9 or 10 most influential and treasured books that I own.

Written during the height of the best of Mid 20th Century consumer progress, this reprint is full of still-valid ideas, with the remainder for just looking in wonder at times gone by. In this book, Russel and Mary went to great lengths to explain everything that they believed was important to orchestrating successful home engineering and economics. It's fun to read, and the original illustrations are stylized and tongue-in-cheek. It's fantastic that this book has been reprinted, so its wisdom and guidelines can educate and possibly downscale some of the pseudo-modern pretentiousness of our contemporary lifestyles, via the true modernism of the past that is expressed in the Wright's text. For instance, the mainstream 21st Century over-stuffed attitudes of living in contrived luxury, look bloated and phoney compared to the Wrights' explanations of pared-down but comfortably designed home decorating and economics; i.e., think modern, lightweight, artistic, and easy to maintain -- not necessarily "cheap" or severely spare. Their message was to have fun, make your house look beautiful, and do it intelligently with as little extraneous pomp and flounce to clean as possible. Great advice for the 21st Century!

i am an architect and interior designer and i have found this book extremly useful interms of extraordinary elevations of the hospital buildings.i have specifacally purchased this book for the interiors of hospital's different sections and i found so many different themes to design with so many colorful images and views from different angle. it is resource book for designers.

i accepted my purchased book.
i like very beautiful design and interesting contents.
if there is other chance, i'd like to purchase your good books.

thank you.

Our homes should be our refuge, our havens for peace, relaxation, and rejuvenation. We want to feel safe; we want spaces that are ergonomic and responsive to our needs; we want to choose environmentally friendly materials. But how to accomplish all of this and have beautiful living spaces? This book tells you how. The back cover says it all-Make your home healthier, happier and more beautiful!

The author does a wonderful job inspiring you to create beautiful interiors that will enhance your spiritual, mental and physical health- and she gives you the practical information and the resources you need to maintain a healthy home. A feast for the eye and the mind! Highly recommended!

My first response to Jackie Craven's HEALTHY HOME was: Ahhhhhh ... it's like a restorative trip to a beautiful, calming spa between two covers! Then I quickly realized that this wonderful book is loaded with clear, practical advice on how to actually make that "calming spa" your very own home. Talk about inspiring! The serene, inviting rooms in the photographs are pleasantly balanced with the author's easygoing, conversational text. For those of us who are serious about transforming our currently cluttered, inefficient, grubby digs into clean, well-ordered oases that soothe the soul, delight the senses, and comfort the carcass, HEALTHY HOMES is the perfect prescription.

Visit the ancestral home of an ancient titled family in Britain (many of them now in the care of the National Trust), and you're likely to be confronted by carved lions, painted greyhounds, and basilisks figured in the table linen. There's not a baronial manor that doesn't feature heraldic symbols everywhere they can be portrayed, a sort of billboard advertising the dignity of the resident family. More than fifty sumptuous homes are featured in this coffee table volume, including Tattershall Castle, property of the Cromwells, Blickling Hall, which belonged to the earls of Buckinghamshire, and Baddesley Clinton, seat of the Ferrers family, of medieval origins. There are more than a hundred full color plates and illustrations, plus another hundred heraldric line drawings. In explaining the symbolism depicted and the uses made of it, the authors include a great deal of anecdotal history of the great aristocratic families. A treasure trove for art and architecture historians as well as heraldicists.

Over the centuries the gentry and nobility of England and Wales have displayed their wealth and power through the magnificence of their dwellings. Heraldry is a visual form of identity, used to display ownership. In this well-researched and illustrated book two officers of the English College of Arms write with authority about the heraldry to be discovered in many different forms in some historic homes under the management of the National Trust of England. This book is a joy to read and browse, for the serious student of heraldry, and those seeking a deeper understanding of the uses of heraldry as seen in historic homes of Britain.

This book has lots of beautiful photos. If you like "classic herman miller" by Leslie A.Pina ,You had to buy this one. I promise you like it!!!

This book is superb - well laid out with beautiful historical photographs. Also contains a great overview of the history of Herman Miller, including design and release dates for classic furniture by Eames and Nelson. A great book for the retro furniture enthusiast.

These photographs will take your breath away. The landscapes are incredibly beautiful, and the quality of the images is of the highest caliber. Ya gotta love this planet...

The photographs are so gorgious and real that they make you feel like you are right there. From the cliffs to the sandy beaches and from the light houses to the huge watery rocks make this book extremely unforgettable.

I love Ilse Crawford sense for decoration, but I must say I was deceived by the book (which unfortunately I bought at the same time as her other edition Sensual Living, which is more or less the same). I found both books too much concerned about phylosophy of living instead of orineting on practical issues for interiors. I must admit I am looking for ideas to bild my new house, and if this is the case, this is not the book. In fact you do not get to see much of any of her projects except some pictures of her own home, more or less the same as those appeared in AD. Sory, but for me it was not worth buying it.

the best decoration/home book ever.
congratulations to ilse crawford, the pictures, the texts.
it warms your heart, it caresses your soul.
definetely, home is where your heart is, but this book helps out a lot.
enjoy your reading.
Ana, Portugal

Since my home was demolished in the hurricane, I have been thumbing through the likes of Veranda, In Style and other similar magazines, seeking ideas about color, arrangement and "style". Though this isn't an "idea book" with gadgets and wall paper, it offers something that is missing from most of my current reading. It opens your mind with philosophy and helps you get to the core of what you really want your home to be. It helped me focus on the important aspects of a home.

Some may find it more akin to a book of "feel good" statements. I, however, found it helps break down the boundaries we let others put on us when we express ourselves through our personal style. Basically, it gets those creative juices flowing by helping you to prioritize. The essence of your home should be a reflection of who you REALLY are-not how you want others to see you. Lest I forget, it is a beautiful book to display for easy access.

Great gift for young couples, hostess gift, anyone who is a fan of decorating magazines or is ready for a change in scenery.