Vanishing Histories: 100 Endangered Sites from the World Monuments Watch

Stewarding world history and culture, the World Monument Fund offers both a warning call and a reassurance in Vanishing Histories: 100 Endangered Sites from the World Monuments Watch by Colin Amory with Brian Curran. From Vienna's baroque Belvedere Gardens, Tbilisi's Ottoman-influenced historic district in the republic of Georgia and the 13th-century terraced vineyards in Liguria, Italy, to Cambodia's 12th-century Banteay Chhmar Temple of Jayavarman VII, Cairo's ancient public water distribution centers and Peru's Machu Picchu, the authors provide brief descriptions of the origins, uses, decline and, in many cases, restoration of sites all over the world. Buildings on the south end of Ellis Island, right under New Yorkers' noses, are dangerously fragile and await planned preservation; Colorado's Mesa Verde National Park has undergone extensive preservation efforts. Thoughtful presentation and 222 beautiful photographs (138 in color) make this an ideal gift for travelers and historians. (Nov.)