
Modern Man
The Life of Le Corbusier, Architect of Tomorrow
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Narrated by:
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Mel Foster
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By:
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Anthony Flint
About this listen
From the award-winning author of Wrestling with Moses comes a fascinating, accessible biography of the most important architect of the 20th century. Modern Man is a riveting biography of Le Corbusier - a man who invented new ways of building and thinking. Modern Man is a penetrating psychological portrait of a true genius and constant self-inventor, as well as a sweeping tale filled with exotic locales, sex, and celebrity (he was a lover of Josephine Baker), and high-stakes projects. In Flint's telling, Corbusier isn't just the grandfather of modern architecture but a man who sought to remake the world according to his vision, dispelling the Victorian style and replacing it with something never seen before. His legacy remains controversial today, as the world grapples with how to house its skyrocketing urban population and the cult of the "starchitect" continues to grow.
Modern Man is for listeners fascinated by the complex personal lives and outsized visions of both groundbreaking artists and dazzling, charismatic innovators like Steve Jobs.
©2014 Anthony Flint (P)2014 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.Listeners also enjoyed...
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What listeners say about Modern Man
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- Aline Herrnstadt
- 12-14-15
Excellent
A modern and comprehensive biography. A clear examination of a very complex man. Easy to follow
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1 person found this helpful
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- Lester
- 09-21-23
A great book for a great man.
As an architect myself I seek out biographies of architects to connect, relate and find inspiration. This book did all of the above, not only did it renew my interest in LC but gave me the dose of inspiration and resolve a lot of us architects need when bogged down by the weight of our chosen profession. In terms of the book itself, I appreciated that it did not delve too much into his private life but articulated his private life in relation to and with his work. Highly recommended I will surely re listen but this time selecting the chapters that describe some of my favorite buildings of his!
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- Greg Manley
- 04-28-15
Excellent Bio
Very well written and comprehensive. As an Architect I learned a lot about one of the icons of the 20th Century. Only criticism is the chapter dedicated to Kanye West - how anyone can compare West to Corbu is beyond me. Quite insulting to the design profession. Le Corbusier invented himself. Kanye a West is a product - nothing more.
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9 people found this helpful
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- Susan
- 01-20-15
Awesome!!!
This book is great! I learned so much about Le Corbusier and modern architecture. The story is fascinating and I would recommend for anyone who enjoys learning a bit of history. The story is told in a way that keeps you interested, not at all dry or boring.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Chris Carl
- 06-13-18
Amazing bio but..
Amazing biography. I was getting into real estate so I wanted to listen to a biography of a great architecture. This bio was more surprising than I thought. He is up there in importance as Picasso and Einstein. I lower to 4 star since I didn’t like him getting compared to Kanye West. Made this book sound less sophisticated.
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- Irene
- 02-09-17
Surely you could have found a bilingual narrator
Any additional comments?
On the whole the story was compelling although the jumps through time, 1920s one minute and 1950s next was a bit disturbing for an audio book. Probably OK if you are reading it as you can flip back and forward to check where you are.
BUT THE NARRATION! The book is chock full of French names, and Mel Foster's French accent was AWFUL! I have enough French to have shuddered through the narration, even shouting out loud from time to time . Totally ruined the book. What were Brilliance Audio thinking?
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