The introduction looks at the historical and social motivations behind epoch-making residential architecture, showing in sidebars twenty of the most important early examples. Then eighty houses--sixty of which have been specially photographed--are presented chronologically. The text describes the all-important relationship between architecture and client, the physical context in which the house is set, and the pivotal role the house played in the development of the architect's career and architecture in general.

Concise architect biographies and a list of key buildings accompany each house, while photographs and easy-to-read plans bring the words to life.