C O N T E X T 1 4 5 : J U LY 2 0 1 6 43 great detail – for example there are pages on the different characteristics of cob buildings across the country – followed by comprehensive sections assessing and diagnosing defects, and on repair and maintenance. Although wordy, the information is easily accessible; the section on daub, for example, describes its preparation, including the merits of hay and straw, and the different lengths to which each should be chopped. The method given for temporary support of a leaning cob wall is an example of the practical advice found throughout. The coverage of brickwork stabilisation techniques, in preference to dismantling and rebuilding, is one of many valuable technical sections. Terracotta and faience are served equally well, and anyone reading this chapter in full would finish with a very good appreciation of these often misunderstood materials. Of note is a special chapter on tiles which, although it does not feature in the title of the book, is substantial in itself and similar in coverage to those on the other three materials. The text is well illustrated throughout, with cogent annotated drawings and a very broad range of photographs, many showing defects and repairs in action and having real educational value. The chapter on each of the materials ends with a selection of case studies showing how the theory is put into practice, and the lessons learnt. Its encyclopaedic nature makes the volume a one-stop reference for most matters relating to clay-based building materials. Being essentially four books in one goes a long way to justifying its price. Thankfully it is particularly well set out, with coloured dividers aiding its use as a reference text. Helpfully there is a colour-coded key system for referencing other relevant volumes in the series, although this volume serves perfectly well in isolation. As the name suggests, it does indeed provide practical advice on building conservation, and is aimed primarily at those who work on or look after historic buildings. It will also be of interest to owners or those in education looking to acquire a detailed understanding of the subject.While the focus is on buildings in England, the characteristics of the materials and the approach for their conservation are relevant across the UK and beyond. Although most likely to be used as a reference text for dipping into when presented with a particular defect, Earth, Brick and Terracotta is also an absorbing read. Simon Malam, accredited conservation architect, Donald Insall Associates Other books received Old Dock Liverpool: where it all began David Cottrell and John Hinchliffe The Liverpolitan, 2015, 65 pages, colour and black and white illustrations, softback, ISBN 978 0 993361 70 8, £5 Liverpool columnist David Cottrell and IHBC member John Hinchliffe tell the story of the world’s first enclosed commercial wet dock, and how it transformed a small river port on Britain’s north-west coast into a mercantile powerhouse with a world famous waterfront. The book explores the entrepreneurial spirit in early 18th-century Liverpool that led its promoters to stake their fortunes on an untried experiment; the advanced engineering that brought it about; and the later tumultuous history of the dock. The final and most fascinating part describes its rediscovery and display beneath the modern shopping centre that is Liverpool One. Coventry: the making of a modern city, 1939–73 Jeremy and Caroline Gould, Historic England, 2016, 156 pages, 128 colour and black and white illustrations, softback, ISBN 878 1 848022 45 4, £14.99 The Coventry blitz of 14 November 1940 largely destroyed the medieval city on a single night. For the city architect, Donald Gibson, who was already engaged in planning for change, it offered an opportunity to invent the modern city.With the backing of a progressive and socially-minded council, the redevelopment by Gibson and his successors resulted in an intensely urban and civilised centre, which in turn influenced the rebuilding of other shattered city centres and the post-war new town movement. In spite of later changes, both the original vision and the architecture remain substantially intact, even if their value is not always understood. The Goulds’ sensitive analysis of the city within this exemplary book aims to inform the public and decision makers of Coventry’s significance, so that the best of its remarkable post-war heritage can survive. Lambeth Architecture: a brave new world, 1945–65 Edmund Bird and Fiona Price, photographer John East, London Borough of Lambeth and Lambeth Local History Forum, 2014, 172 pages, colour illustrations, softback, £10 from www.landmark. lambeth.gov.uk Lambeth suffered extensive bomb damage during the second world war, and was a focus for reconstruction in the post-war period. The birth of the welfare state heralded the age of modernist architecture, manifested above all in a huge public housing programme planned in the face of an unparalleled housing crisis. In 1951 the Festival of Britain brought international attention to Lambeth, introducing a simple and joyful architecture that spoke of better opportunities for the
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