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The Destruction of Memory

Architecture at War, Second Expanded Edition
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( 124 ratings, 6 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The Destruction of Memory explores how the deliberate destruction of architectural landmarks during conflicts, such as mosques in Iraq and the World Trade Center towers, aims to erase a nation's cultural identity and history. Robert Bevan reveals how these acts go beyond physical damage, striking at the very memory and existence of communities.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

Essential reading for those interested in history, culture, war studies, and architecture, as well as readers concerned with the impact of conflict on cultural heritage.

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Now available in an expanded 2nd Edition, this is a polemical account of the destruction of architecture in war.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Crumbled shells of mosques in Iraq, the fall of the World Trade Center towers on 11 September 2009: when architectural totems such as these are destroyed by conflicts and the ravages of war, more than mere buildings are at stake.

The Destruction of Memory reveals the extent to which a nation weds itself to its landscape; Robert Bevan argues that such destruction not only shatters a nation's culture and morale but is also a deliberate act of eradicating a culture's memory and, ultimately, existence.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Simon Jenkins of The Sunday Times (UK) calls it a "devastating book" that argues war involves not just killing people but also obliterating cultures and memories, emphasising that the destruction of buildings can be more ferocious than the loss of life.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781780235974

Publisher: Reaktion Books

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 01 February 2016

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Reaktion Books

Edition: 2nd edition

Illustration: 67 illustrations

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 129.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 250g

Pages: 304

About the Author

Robert Bevan is a journalist, author and heritage-led regeneration consultant. He is an architecture critic for national newspapers in the UK and writes for publications internationally.

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