Now in its fourth edition, this classic bestselling book has been updated with brand new chapters and hand-drawn illustrations. Using a highly accessible approach, the author takes history rather than aesthetics as his starting point. Risebero unfolds and explains the development of architecture in the Western world by examining the subject as an expression of social and economic conditions. The Story of Western Architecture explores not only the buildings constructed, but also how they were built, by whom and for what purpose. This informative book, brought to life through the author's expressive line drawings, is an essential guide to how buildings have evolved through time for keen amateurs and experts alike.