Rubble

Praise

  • "Urban design, it turns out, is as much about subtraction as addition. With matchless wit, Jeff Byles explores the American obsession with demolishing our architectural past. He’s the poet laureate of those unsung heroes: the 'unbuilders.'" —Mike Davis, author of Dead Cities

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March 16, 2008

Welcome!

Welcome to the new, improved website for author Jeff Byles.

Jeff's book Rubble: Unearthing the History of Demolition is the first-ever biography of the wrecking trade, and a riveting, character-filled narrative of how lowly demolition grew to become a multibillion-dollar business, an extreme spectator sport, and a touchstone for what we value, what we disdain, who we were, and what we wish to become.

Named to the "Best of 2005" lists of Time Out New York and The Village Voice

Rubble rides the wrecking ball through centuries of firehooks and skull crackers, barmen and implosionists. From powder-kegged old London to Las Vegas, this book rummages through the ruins and surveys the blasts that—for better and for worse—shape our cities and our souls.

"Engaging."
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

"A live-wire, multilevel study...the demolition of buildings inspires complex emotions—shock, horror, even awe—and those responses are well worth thinking about."
Time Out New York

On this site you’ll find other published work in the article archive. Read more about the book. And subscribe to this blog's feed to keep current on readings, events, and more.

Strap on your hard hat, enjoy your visit—and don’t hesitate to send a message via the email link on this page.