Medieval Cathedral

Inside Story

by Fiona Macdonald

Discover a world of ornate architecture, stories told in glass and unique feats of construction and art. This guide presents the life of a Medieval Cathedral. Meet highly-skilled master craftsmen as they design ghoulish gargoyles and statues. Additional text places the construction in its wider historical and religious context. Superb cutaway illustrations and pinpoint enlargements accompany the text. Informative captions, a complete glossary and an index make this title an ideal educational text.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

48 pages, Paperback

Published September 1, 2009

About the author

Fiona Macdonald studied history at Cambridge University and at the University of East Anglia. She has taught in schools, adult education and university, and is the author of numerous books for children on historical topics.

Reviews

[gwayle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I checked this out from the library because even though I've visited a fair number of medieval cathedrals, I've never really been interested in their architectural features or construction--until I recently started reading Henry Adam's excellent Mont Saint Michel and Chartres and realized that I was waaaay behind the terminology curve. This to say I'm not really the intended audience for this children's picture book. That said, the color illustrations in this book are nice, but the project loses something by shifting focus from the physics of construction to the laborers and social history. See Macauley's excellent Cathedral: The Story of Its Construction instead.

[Pamela · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the illustrations and 'A Day In the Life of' sections. I'd get more of this series if I ever find them.