Architecture and Authority in Japan

There is nothing in English which covers quite this area of knowledge, and there is none better qualified to write such a book. Bill Coaldrake has written a book which will be an excellent rescource for students and professional scholars alike. It should become a classic in the field and I also think it will stand the test of time. -Joy Hendry, Oxford Brookes University This will be by far the best book on the place of architecture, expecially monumental public architecture, in Japanese history and culture. Dr Coaldrake gives focus to his work, and to the political role of architecture, by concentrating on buildings not only as symbols of authority but as active carriers of authority ...But the book is much more than an architectural history. It is a major contribution to the cultural history of Japan. -Martin Colcutt, Princeton University This excellent book will become the authoritative work on architecture in relation to Japanese history and politics.. -David Forfar, THES The book is well-written and edited. While it contains technical material, it is not so technical that it will be inacessible to ordinary readers. I anticipate using the book in my courses on Japanese history and culture at Princeton, and I am sure it will appear on other college reading lists in the United States for courses in art history, architecture, history and culture. -Martin Colcutt, Professor of East Asian Studies and History at Princeton University