The Landscape of Man

Humans have always shaped their surroundings, leaving architectural footprints in their wake. But what forms have these markers taken, and why? Angkor Wat sits differently from the temples of Kyoto, and the gardens of Versailles are a world away from Central Park. What can each tell us about the civilizations that created them, and vice versa?

To qualify as a "landscape of man," an environment must be deliberately shaped at a specific time. Taking twenty-eight "cultures," Geoffrey and Susan Jellicoe first dig into the social and intellectual background of each, then describe how this expressed itself in terms of landscape, with striking visuals, maps, and original plans to illustrate the discussion. The ground covered includes ancient Mesopotamia, Greece, Rome, the Middle East, medieval Europe, India, China, Japan, pre-Columbian America, and the post-Renaissance West in all its phases.

Complete with full-color photography throughout for the first time, The Landscape of Man has been revised and updated for the next generation of readers. A new introduction and final chapter by celebrated garden writer Tim Richardson take in modernism and postmodernism, postindustrial landscapes, large-scale urban planning in China and beyond, as well as community gardens and much more.

This edition is a must-have for those starting out in the worlds of architecture, design, or landscape design, or for anyone interested in environmental improvement in our challenging and ever-changing times.