Cathedral: The Great English Cathedrals and the World That Made Them, 600-1540

by Jon Cannon

The English medieval cathedrals are one of the wonders of the world. But who made them, and why? This fascinating new history of England's cathedrals explores a previously unconsidered view of these extraordinary as constantly-changing structures created by a rich brew of ancient rituals, beliefs, personalities and politics - a living window on to the past. Incorporating the latest historical research, Jon Cannon presents a picture of the English cathedrals as above all products of their time, not just great architectural monuments. These were buildings brought alive by the messages encoded in their sculpture - and the miraculous events that were believed to occur within them. Full of personalities, ideas, stories and novel interpretations, here are the cathedrals of England as you may never have considered them before. Handsomely illustrated with specially commissioned photographs and diagrams, including thematic chapters on key aspects and separate essays on every medieval

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Architecture, Art

512 pages, Hardcover

First published May 19, 2011

Reviews

[Judith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Both detailed & informative. I had assumed I knew the story of our cathedrals, discovered I didn’t!

[Sitatunga · Rating 5 out of 5]

It took me forever to absorb this revelatory re-evaluation of the cathedrals within the context of the world that created them. It assumes one already has a knowledge of the architectural/aesthetic/stylistic vocabulary - reading this I was able to refresh that at the same time.
It also brought home the importance of outstanding, dedicated individuals - bishops, priors, abbots, deans, canons, masons & craftsmen - in making all these buildings happen.
Again, the numinous quality which saints - via their shrines, tombs and effigies - imbued these buildings is something we have lost sight of but is coming back - in one or two cases - St. Albans and Hereford, for example.
Part two, the gazetteer section also utterly engrossing ....
The book changed my whole picture, at so many levels that it would take a book to encompass .... not least through his partial debunking of the stylistic approach to understanding cathedrals and his novel focus on the separate development of secular & monastic foundations ...
However - I have since found Draper's book even better than this - as architectural exegesis.