The Landscape of Civilisation

Book excerpt: The following is inscribed on page 308 of the author's copy of Bertrand Russell's A History of Western Philosophy : ' During this chapter decided to write a history of landscape architecture, at 10.05am Sunday 23rd May 1958' , and ' completed at Taormina, Feb. 1975 ' Ten years later the idea of translating his great work The Landscape of Man into visible form was formulated at Seattle on the evening of 19 May 1985. The sketch plan, with little future deviation, was completed in time for breakfast the following morning. The Historical Gardens that this book describes are only part of a multi-million twenty year programme initiated by the Moody Foundation for the enrichment of Galveston, Texas - a city destroyed by inundation in 1900 and now materially recovered. The site of the gardens themselves is twenty-five acres of flat land adjoining sea marshes. This will be divided by artificial mountains into West and East. There will be fifteen cultures and the guide will take the visitor through the