Bunker Archeology Paperback – December 1, 1997

Virilio's work is almost always challenging. In a 1976 book titled "L'insecurité du territorie", he starts with childhood recollections of how it was like to live in the French Normandie, a victim of constant air attacks my the Germans and the allies. Slowly he became aware that the coast was dotted wth strange structures made of concrete and started wondering about the function of architecture, and how these structures —the bunkers— resisted adjustments in their function and would not yield to new uses. His "Bunker Archaeology" is a retake of those intuitions, and in it he goes deep into questioning the need for an architecture that spells the need to get protection of end-of-the-world situations. Insightful and brilliant, challenging and full of unexpected turns, this is a book that helps us better understand why military architecture has become —despite a hopeful modernism— a pervasive model of, among other things, domestic architecture. A must-read book.

With an entertaining performance in his meandering academic/historical/philosophical approach, Virilio takes the reader on a journey across the physical and sociological implications of the bunker. This is not a straightforward guide--this is a collection of essays that intertwine Virilio's numerous observations about time, place, people, and the physicality of the bunker as object. If the interior/exterior spaces of J.G. Ballard interest you, this book is a good companion. It's worth mentioning that the book contains numerous photographs by the author that are near-haunting. Good read.

Great book horrible binding. Pictures are folded into the books binding.....what were they thinking?

Mr. Virillio has put together a great book on World War Two Bunkers of the Atlantic Wall. He gives illustrations on how the 'bunker' was developed, and then proceeds to hunt down and photograph a number of them. Of course at the end he divulges the fate of some, but the Nazi's had built these things to last a thousand years.

This is a book showcasing some photographs of WW2 defenses in Western Europe, as they are today. It is an art book, intended to make some kind of deep statement about something. I think the book was named ironically, as though the author thought that nobody would be looking for a book literally about the archaeological study of fortifications.So for those of us actually in the field of Military and Industrial Archaeology, it is a big disappointment. I bought it on impulse, which was a mistake. Also, it is pretty expensive for what it is.

An amazing book! For military historians it's Nazi engineering at its' best. As an artist, these unique architectural designs stimulated myimagination in ways that could be adapted to everything from housing to furniture to lighting. This book is in ENGLISH not French!

This book is not about archaeology. It is a rambling essay written by an architect. The diagrams are few in number and do not have scales nor north arrows. The photographs are equally bereft of the usual accoutrements of even basic archaeological photography and the locations are very vague. I feel somewhat cheated by the title

Quizá el primer libro que trató el búnker de la Ii Guerra Mundial como objeto teórico. Una obra fundamental que está más cerca de la filosofía que del militarismo y la historia. Y las fotografías, todo un clásico.

As an architect, "Bunker Archaeology" from Paul Virilio is and will always be a great influence on my work (such as architecture pratice and architecture theory).Fantastic photos and a compreensive study make it a must-have for those interested in concrete "ghost" bunker buildings.

The book arrived in perfect conditions and before the date I expected. Simply perfect. . . . . . .

Well presented, fascinating images and overall very interesting. Its slightly unusual format and design also makes the book a nice object in its own right.

very interesting