A highly readable book about architecture, lavishly illustrated with fifteen intricate cross sections. From straw huts to skyscrapers, palaces to arts centres, The Story of Buildings takes us on a journey across continents and over centuries. Patrick Dillon selects iconic feats of architecture from around the world - the Parthenon, the Pyramid of Djoser, Hagia Sophia, Notre Dame Cathedral, the Forbidden City, the Villa Rotonda, the Taj Mahal, Vaux-le-Vicomte, Melk Abbey, Crystal Palace, the Bauhaus, the Chrysler Building, the Sydney Opera House, the Pompidou Centre and the Straw Bale House - and tells the remarkable human story behind each of them. Stephen Biesty's detailed, intricate cross-sections allow us to see inside these incredible structures and appreciate the inspiration of their creators. Technical information and architectural terms are explained in labels and there is an extensive index and timeline at the end of the book.