The criticism speaks for itself:

Ellen Louer for www.archnewsnow.com —

Given the recent debates and new concerns about tall buildings in this post-9/11 world, it’s more important than ever to look back at the conflicts and criticism that helped shape some of our nation’s greatest skyscrapers.

Stephen A. Kliment F.A.I.A. for OCULUS the quarterly journal of
the American Institute of Architects —

Within the 50-year period, it is astonishing that Roger Shepherd, who compiled and annotated the book, was able to uncover such a wealth of skyscraper material. There are articles on specific buildings, on groups of buildings, on a competition (for the Chicago Tribune tower), essays by critics, including the great Montgomery Schuyler and Record's first chief editor Herbert Croly; there are mini-bios and other vignettes in the margins, along with quotes ranging from St. Augustine and John Milton to Wright, Saarinen the Elder, and Robert A. M. Stern. And the text itself is a marvelous stew of facts and factlets which, once you overcome a slight fear of being embroiled in a mass of material set in all manner of type faces, column widths, and copy flow, ends up as an endearing compendium or anthology – Shepherd uses the ideal word 'scrapbook' – that is difficult to put down once you've started reading.

Clifford A. Pearson, A.I.A. for Architectural Record —

Shepherd, who designed the book himself, presents several layers of information on nearly every page: a running text, a vertical sidebar, and photo captions. The feel of the book is packed, sometimes a bit crowded. But it's lots of fun . . . . What could have been simply a "greatest hits" collection of buildings has been cleverly shaped into one man's view of modern architecture and the culture that surrounds it.

W. B. Maynard, Johns Hopkins University for CHOICE —

[Shepherd] brings a unique visual sensibility to bear. Articles fill the center columns; excerpts from other articles run down the margins, as do annotations that explain obscure period references. Shepherd seems intent on generously squeezing the maximum textual content onto each page. And virtually every page is illustrated. For the pictures alone the book would be valuable, because many of these skyscrapers have been demolished. Again generously, quite a few illustrations are in color, including many taken from old postcards. The book celebrates both the early skyscraper and the strengths of Architectural Record itself: eloquent writing and aesthetical design. ... Summing Up: Recommended.

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