The Contractors of Chartres

by John James

This study of the fabric of Chartres cathedral reveals in extraordinary detail the logistics and techniques involved in the building of a medieval church. Dr James identifies 36 separate building campaigns, identifiable by the differences of measurement and technique, and shows how the problems of fundraising and of the methods used meant that the work proceeded in short bursts of activity, followed by long pauses, even within a construction period of only fifty years. The Contractors of Chartresis a major contribution to our understanding of medieval architecture and the society that created it.

584 pages, Hardcover

First published October 5, 1989

About the author

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Dr. John James is an Australian architect, builder, farmer, transpersonal therapist and medieval historian with a passion for discovery. For 30 years he has been searching to understand the workings of the human psyche, and for the origins of the Gothic style. In the latter pursuit he became a world authority on Chartres cathedral, and is currently producing a nine-volume thesaurus on early gothic in France. He has received many awards for this. In therapy he founded the Crucible Centre in the mountains west of Sydney described in his book "The Great Field."