A very well written book, introducing its material in an argumentative order. Taken from various regions of the roman world, archeological examples are considered in order to prove -or disprove- theoretical arguments. The arguments themselves are ordered by complexity, making the reading easier.
The point of view is clearly architecural for the analysis, while the material data are checked for archeological or static pertinence.
If the bibliography is wide ranging, it suffers from its division following the chapter order: if it is easy to follow during a first rading, it is more difficult to come back to it after closing the book.
Manar HAMMAD

I had always wondered how the Romans calculated the ratio of width to height when designing their columns. This book treats the matter in detail with excellent diagrams and details far beyond just columns. Mouldings, orders, temples, markers, baths, etc., are all covered lucidly and with enough depth to interest both the architectural professional as well as the dilettant.