46 should be of great help to those who deal with cob professionally. He dispenses with footnotes but has clearly read widely, as the bibliography shows, and the book's strength is the synthesis between the author's study of sources and his own practical experience and observation. In his first three chapters, Pearson describes the types of cob and the additives used. Methods of construction and the technical qualities of earth walling are then described. The bulk of the book 1s concerned with the practicalities of repair, a subject briefly tackled in the Ashursts' English Heri rage Technical Handbook, Volume 2. These sections are very useful to professionals and covers all main types from chalk cob, clay lump and pise de terre to Lincolnshire mud and stud. In the chapters on wall protection and decoration the author underlines with authority the shortcomings of many current proprietary products, enabling a value judgement to be made in relation to various British Standards. His technical data will AFTERTHE DISASTER The Great Fire at Hampton Court. Michael Fishlock. Herbert Press, London. 1992. l 28pp, 43 b/w and 46 colour illustrations. ISBN 1 871569 49 4. Price £10.95. For anyone who has wondered what happens when the fire fighters and headline writers leave the scene of a disaster such as that which struck Hampton Court in 1986, then this book is worth reading. Written in the style of a fairly prosaic diary, it takes the reader from the night of the fire, through the painstaking process of repair and restoration, to the culmination, 5½ years later, in the hand-over ceremony of the restored wing. Written by the architect/ project manager, the text gives an insight into the logistics of the operation, which are aweinspiring in their complexity: 900 drawings for the specifications, 2,385 architect's instructions! It also reveals discoveries made during the course of repair (sea shells used as sound insulation, mysterious hand prints on the BOOKS allow the pessimism of many structural engineers to be withstood. I prefer the use of 'plinth' to 'underpin course' as being clearer but I suppose the terminology is evolving. Two points on witchert: pulling such leaning walls together using the heated tie-rod method (p.137) has been used very successfully, and in the 1920s 'witchert stone', a version of chalk lump, was another attempt to use traditional materials in a new way (p.33). The particular value of the book is that it gives a quotable source which points out the dangers of many modern techniques and. practices that do more harm than good. It is to be hoped that it rea_ches a wide audience; otherwise the rate of loss will increase. Many of the case studies in the book find the author arriving too late to save the building! Had the owner or builder or architect sought advice at the appropriate time many gloomy captions to his photographs would have been avoided. Martin Andrew Repairworkunderwayat Hampton CourtPalace. bedroom wall), and includes modern touches, such as improvements in fire-control systems. Technical terms are explained as they arise, so specialist knowledge is not required - indeed the book seems in tended for general consumption. The whole is backed up by some excellent illustrations, among the best being those showing the restoration of the Grinling Gibbons carvings. Alongside the need to tell the story of the fire and its aftermath runs a second, equally valid, raison d'etre. Usually, the backstage workers, the electricians, mechanics, scaffolders and masons, stay well clear of the limelight. Here, they are recognised as being vital components of an integrated whole: names are given, pictures are shown. It is the testimony to the skill, dedication and craftsmanship that went into the restoration of Hampton Court which makes this book one that deserved to be written. Collette Hall BYNOMEANSA PIECEOF CAKE Dundee on Record: Images of the Past (photographsand drawings in the National Monuments Record of Scotland). Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland. 1992. 75pp, 128 b/w illustrations. ISBN O 11 494208 0. Price £10.95. The history of Dundee on the banks of the Tay, from prehistoric settlement through the prosperous years as jute capital to 20 cenrury city, is illustrated in this guide produced by the RCAHMS. Using photographs, plans and drawings from the National Monuments Record of Scotland, a wide ranging picture of Dundee's evolution is built up, each chapter beginning with an explanatory text. In addition to the expected town halls and grand houses, it is refreshing to see more everyday buildings, such as bus shelters, railway stations and tenement block included in the tapestry of development. The impact of the jute industry is given due prominence; the machinery is well illustrated (although some of the diagrams are too small for comfort), and the dominating presence of the huge jute mills (many of which are now demolished) is conveyed effectively. Part of the value of the book lies in its revelation of what has been lost; among the-most eloquent illustrations are those of the now vanished 'jute palaces', elaborate mansions built for wealthy merchants in a city very different from that of today. In some ways this is also a showcase for the abilities of both the RCAHMS and the NMR as custodians and presenters of the documentary history of Scotland. It also underlines the value of contributions made by people such as Dr David Walker, to whose dedication in recording many of the now-vanished buildings, the book owes much of its illustrative significance. Collette Hall Collette Hall also wrote the rwo unattributed reviews in Context 35. PUBLICATIONS RECEIVED The Dales of Yorkshire:a Portrait. Dr Richard Muir. Macmillan, 1992. 229 pp, 107 colour plates, hardback, 25 x 19 cm, ISBN 0 333 49786 4, Price £20.00. A good book for those who want to get to know the Yorkshire Dales. The emphasis on landscape, history and the way of life is perhaps not primarily what the Conservation Officer is seeking. Exploring England's Heritage: Cumbria to Northumberland. John Weaver. Published by HMSO in conjunction with English Heritage. 1992. 133 pp, illustrated, 25 X 19 cm, paperback, ISBN O 11 300029 4, Price £10.95. Follows the format of the three previous volumes in this series, perhaps concentrating on the more well known sites in Cumbria, Northumberland and Durham. Useful for those who do not know the area and are making up an itinerary. The City Shaped: Urban Patterns and Meanings Through History. Spiro Kostof. Thames & Hudson. 1991. 352 pp, 352 drawings, maps and photos (39 in colour), hardback, 26 x 24 cm, ISBN 0 500 34118 4, Price £24.00. The city as an expression of society and collective art is the theme of this facinating lavishly illustrated book. Horizons will be widened by an exploration of city forms and related architectural styles. Wonderful background reading as well as very good value. Provides stimulating contrasts and comparisons in the evaluation of urban form. The Book Review section 1s edited by Francis Biard. CONTEXT 36
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