Brasilia

This little book is an ideal introduction to Braśilia. Murtinho is a diplomat and a man of wide culture who, while belonging to the beautiful older world of Rio de Janeiro, nevertheless took up the philosophy of the new Brazil, centered in Braśilia. The text, though short, provides the essence of the city’s spirit. The color plates are excellent, capturing the clear blue skies and the white clouds of the Planalto, as well as the color and excitement of Oscar Niemayer’s buildings. The notes accompanying the plates not only describe the external features but also evoke the inner life of the people living in this city. One cannot put down the book without a mixture of sadness and happiness at the vision, planning, and enterprise of those who created Braśilia—a symbol of what might have been and what will yet be, when the Brazilian people recover their country and take up again the task of building a just society.