Georgetown, the capital of Guyana, on the northeast coast of South America, has been described as 'the Venice of the West Indies', and its elegant canals and bridges, lush tropical vegetation and handsome buildings make it a place of great beauty. The city's architecture is essentially colonial, having been moulded by the French, Dutch, British and Spanish during the 18th and 19th centuries. Compton Davis's book documents these fascinating buildings, realized largely in wood rather than the more durable brick and stone; indeed, some houses have disappeared – lost to fire, demolition or simply neglect – since they were photographed. Davis, an architect, begins by giving a brief history of Georgetown itself, describing the influences that resulted in its charming and characteristic architecture, and explaining the various house types that are to be found in the city. The main part of the book is organized geographically, dividing the city into its various districts and describing the notable houses to be found in each. Photographs of the buildings and their particular features are accompanied by short descriptive and historical texts. This beautiful book, lovingly photographed and researched over several decades, will appeal to architecture lovers everywhere, as well as to those interested in colonial and South American history, and that of building in wood. AUTHOR: Compton Davis is an architect who practises in London. He was born in Guyana, and moved to England during the 1960s to complete his education. He started photographing the buildings of Georgetown in 1983 as part of his final-year dissertation at the Polytechnic of Central London (now the University of Westminster), where he read architecture. SELLING POINTS: . The first book to survey extensively the architectural history of Georgetown, Guyana . Includes many remarkable buildings that no longer exist, providing an invaluable architectural record . Features specially taken photographs throughout 215 colour illustrations