Tilt: a Skewed History of the Tower of Pisa

Continuing in the architectural realm, I decided to try Nicholas Shrady's cleverly designed book, Tilt: a skewed history of the Tower of Pisa. Grant you the design of the book is a marketing gimmick, but it works. This is an entertaining and quick read. Shrady quickly recounts the history of the bell tower that was begun in 1173 and not completed until 1370. The tower today continues to captivate the world's imagination.

He summarizes the tower's history, including its importance for the city of Pisa, explains why the story of Galileo's use of the tower to conduct experiments on falling objects was probably fabricated by one of the master's disciples; discusses the 19th-century Romantic poets' fanciful idea that the tower's tilt was deliberate; and tells the story of the tower's near destruction by the Allies in WWII after they discovered that the Germans were using it as an observation post. Perhaps one of the more intriguing aspects of the tower's history is that the original architect is unknown. He probably did not want his name connected to the structure, because the tower was built on unstable subsoil, and started to lean toward the south shortly after construction began.

Shrady also discusses the numerous commissions throughout the tower's history that have studied the problem and outlines a series of unsuccessful stabilizing attempts, until the most recent commission in 1997, which successfully stabilized the tower's TILT through a soil extraction process on the North side of the tower.

Eiffel's Tower

Anyone who has visited Paris would probably have put this icon of France on their itinerary. The Eiffel Tower is one of those wonders of the world that everyone recognizes and could tell you where it is located. It is also one of those wonders that you actually have to see to believe. Just as it marveled those who attended the Paris World's Fair in 1889, it continues to be awe inspiring today.

But it was not a very popular choice in Paris to serve as the main attraction for the World's Exposition. In fact there was even tentative plans to tear it down after five years. Since the state would only agree to fund a part of it, architect Gustave Eiffel had to commit his own resources to assure it was completed on time for the opening of the Exposition universelle de 1889 in Paris, France.

This book by Jill Jonnes is more than just a history of the tower. Not only does it discuss the difficulties in getting the tower constructed, but it also presents developments in the arts, globalism, technology, and journalism in the late nineteenth century as represented at the event.

Her book is similar to Erik Larson's "Devil in the White City", which discusses the preparations and construction of the Chicago World's Fair, but without a serial killer in the neighborhood. Both great reads for architecture and history buffs.

The Legend Lives

How many of you are fans of the Robin Hood legend? As a kid I enjoyed watching the Robin Hood series on TV. I also made sure I caught any new films on the Robin Hood legend from the Robin and Marian movie with Sean Connery and Audrey Hepburn to the Kevin Costner production. Well now the literary tale of Robin Hood has been revived by Stephen Lawhead with his trilogy, The King Raven Series. The first of the three novels is Hood. But Lawhead does not place Robin Hood in Sherwood Forest during the reign of King Richard the Lionheart. Instead Lawhead sets Robin in the time of the Norman invaders of England and under the reign of King William II or William the Red (William Rufus) in 1093. Instead of Sherwood Forest, Robin (Bran ap Brychan) is in Wales.

Steeped in Celtic Mythology and political intrigue, all the characters are gradually introduced: Little John (Iwan), Friar Tuck, Marian and Will Scarlet, Guy de Gisbourne and the Sheriff. This trilogy is a fun read.

First in the Trilogy. Introduces you to Bran, heir to his father's kingdom and forced to flee to the greenwood, after the Normans attack and kill his father and his knights as they are traveling to Lundein (London) for an audience with King William II.

Second in the Series, introduces Will Scatlocke (Scarlet). After losing everything at the hands of the Normans, forester Will Scarlet becomes a refugee and embarks on a search for the now legendary King Raven (Hood).

According to a synopsis of the series, Lawhead conjures up the ancient past and holds a mirror to contemporary realities.

I am waiting for the paperback copy of Tuck, the third book in the trilogy, to come out.