Available in hardcover only; 40 chapters; 1000 pages; 1,243
illustrations, of which 736 are in color.
Much like
Gombrich's book, which I have discussed on
another page,
Janson's book has been enhanced significantly since the previous
edition; in fact, since the last edition the number of pages in
Janson has been approximately doubled.
It's slightly less popular (as measured by sales volumes) than
some other art history books, but Janson seems to be the choice of
readers who prefer more completeness. It is commonly being used
as the textbook in art history courses, and those selecting it for
that purpose often assert that it's the inevitable choice, and
indispensable.
However, the publisher's suggested price for Janson was $75 the
last time I looked, and the buyer may have economic considerations
-- even after Amazon.com knocks off a 30 percent discount. If you
want a more economical choice, but still excellent quality, I
would recommend
the Gombrich book.
There are about a dozen synopses and reviews of the Janson book on
the linked Amazon.com page.