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The Gothic Cathedral
The Gothic cathedrals of the Middle Ages are among the world's supreme architectural achievements. Hundreds of these great churches were built throughout Europe in a rich variety of styles between c. 1130 and c. 1530, all of them representing an investment of money and effort so immense that it is difficult to find a modern parallel. Christopher Wilson focuses here on the interaction between design and the requirements of patrons, following the creative processes of architects by reconstructing the problems and opportunities that they faced. He discusses chronology, structural techniques, and stylistic developments and then goes further, seeing the story as a sequence of choices from which new challenges and solutions arose. 221 illustrations.
304 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1990
5 people are currently reading
95 people want to read
About the author
Christopher J. Wilson
14 books2 followersChristopher J. Wilson Dip Eco (Cork), FZS is the great nephew of Dr Edward A. Wilson, who died with Captain Scott and his party on their return from the South Pole in 1912. He is widely travelled, having spent time on all the continents of the world and has completed eight full seasons in Antarctica having first travelled to that Continent in 1999 on the Antarctic Circumnavigation.
Born in the UK, he was educated in both UK and Africa, was a London policeman for 16 years and moved to Ireland in 1981. He completed a Field Ecology Diploma at University College Cork in the mid 1990s. Currently he is self employed as an Environmental Consultant based in County Wexford, Ireland specialising in field survey work (particularly birds).
A highly respected ornithologist with over thirty-five years of bird ringing experience, in Ireland, UK and Australia, he includes in his scientific accolades the organisation of staff and volunteers in numerous ornithological surveys of national and international importance. Before taking early retirement in 2007, Christopher worked for the National Parks and Wildlife Service, for 16 years, serving as warden of Ireland’s premier wildfowl reserve, ‘Wexford Wildfowl Reserve’. In 2000, Christopher spent a year working for the Wildlife Service in South Australia where his expertise in Goose Management, Bird Ringing (including Cannon Netting experience) Bird and Butterfly Survey work were useful attributes to the job he was involved in.
Christopher currently has his only weekly newspaper column and a regular slot on local radio. He regularly contributes to a wide number of wildlife magazines, makes radio and television programs and featured in a half-hour television wildlife documentary on his work as a wildlife warden. He has two web pages, the first www.snowysheathbill.com relates to his Antarctic wildlife work and the second www.wildside.ie relates to local news, views, comment, opinion and wildlife sightings in his home County, Co. Wexford. He is an accomplished photographer contributing to numerous wildlife books. His own publications include: ‘High Skies – Low Lands, An Anthology of The Wexford Slobs and Harbour’ (1996); ‘Wildfile – A Guide to Irish Wildlife’ (1997); ‘Wildlife Quiz and Amazing Facts Book’ (1999) - with a second edition (2002); ‘Edward Wilson’s Nature Notebooks’ – published in November 2004;‘The Lepidoptera of County Wexford’ (2009) and ‘Edward Wilson’s Antarctic Notebooks’ (2011).
Christopher lectures extensively on birds and wildlife and is the current chair of the Wexford Naturalists’ Field Club. He states that his personal motto of “Birds are my Passion, Wildlife my Nature” actively describes his interest, love and passion for our environment and its biodiversity.
Born in the UK, he was educated in both UK and Africa, was a London policeman for 16 years and moved to Ireland in 1981. He completed a Field Ecology Diploma at University College Cork in the mid 1990s. Currently he is self employed as an Environmental Consultant based in County Wexford, Ireland specialising in field survey work (particularly birds).
A highly respected ornithologist with over thirty-five years of bird ringing experience, in Ireland, UK and Australia, he includes in his scientific accolades the organisation of staff and volunteers in numerous ornithological surveys of national and international importance. Before taking early retirement in 2007, Christopher worked for the National Parks and Wildlife Service, for 16 years, serving as warden of Ireland’s premier wildfowl reserve, ‘Wexford Wildfowl Reserve’. In 2000, Christopher spent a year working for the Wildlife Service in South Australia where his expertise in Goose Management, Bird Ringing (including Cannon Netting experience) Bird and Butterfly Survey work were useful attributes to the job he was involved in.
Christopher currently has his only weekly newspaper column and a regular slot on local radio. He regularly contributes to a wide number of wildlife magazines, makes radio and television programs and featured in a half-hour television wildlife documentary on his work as a wildlife warden. He has two web pages, the first www.snowysheathbill.com relates to his Antarctic wildlife work and the second www.wildside.ie relates to local news, views, comment, opinion and wildlife sightings in his home County, Co. Wexford. He is an accomplished photographer contributing to numerous wildlife books. His own publications include: ‘High Skies – Low Lands, An Anthology of The Wexford Slobs and Harbour’ (1996); ‘Wildfile – A Guide to Irish Wildlife’ (1997); ‘Wildlife Quiz and Amazing Facts Book’ (1999) - with a second edition (2002); ‘Edward Wilson’s Nature Notebooks’ – published in November 2004;‘The Lepidoptera of County Wexford’ (2009) and ‘Edward Wilson’s Antarctic Notebooks’ (2011).
Christopher lectures extensively on birds and wildlife and is the current chair of the Wexford Naturalists’ Field Club. He states that his personal motto of “Birds are my Passion, Wildlife my Nature” actively describes his interest, love and passion for our environment and its biodiversity.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
February 13, 2013
Basically, the best there is on cathedrals, by far, like the solvent applied to the cracked, ageing varnish of an old master, probing with forensic accuracy, fetching out in coruscating detail the hitherto unappreciated subtleties in the vastly complex designs of the medieval great churches, exploring the aesthetic, liturgical, social and practical/structural considerations that may have informed each and every individual mason and craftsman’s decision. A tour de force and highly readable with it. The selection of illustrations is judicious and the captions so informative as to stand alone, a book in themselves.
October 23, 2022
I loved this book. I have been fascinated by Gothic architecture since I was a child, but did not go the scholastic route about learning it. That's because most scholarly books about Gothic architecture seem overweight and exceptionally dry to me.
This book, The Gothic Cathedral, was definitely not a dry textbook. Sure, the subject matter is still the development of an architectural style that came and went in a few hundred years, and, if you're not into that kind of stuff, this book might still seem dry.
For me, and to the contrary, I found this book VERY readable. I found the lines of development in the style clearly explained and wonderfully exemplified by very helpful photos and drawings. This book informed my knowledge of the Gothic architectural style for many years. What I learned, over time, was that the overview provided by this book provided me with enough understanding of the subject that formerly overweight and dry textbooks became readable.
This book, The Gothic Cathedral, was definitely not a dry textbook. Sure, the subject matter is still the development of an architectural style that came and went in a few hundred years, and, if you're not into that kind of stuff, this book might still seem dry.
For me, and to the contrary, I found this book VERY readable. I found the lines of development in the style clearly explained and wonderfully exemplified by very helpful photos and drawings. This book informed my knowledge of the Gothic architectural style for many years. What I learned, over time, was that the overview provided by this book provided me with enough understanding of the subject that formerly overweight and dry textbooks became readable.
September 7, 2019
Full disclosure, I only read the portions of the book having to do with the English Cathedrals I will see on my upcoming tour Cathedrals of England.
The well-illustrated book strives to chart the history of Gothic cathedrals, which had innovations, which borrowed elements that had worked well elsewhere. It fulfills that mission.
But that's not really what I was looking for: more of the social history in each community, what it took to build a massive edifice in these not very large communities, from whence the funding and what didn't get funded because they were built
The well-illustrated book strives to chart the history of Gothic cathedrals, which had innovations, which borrowed elements that had worked well elsewhere. It fulfills that mission.
But that's not really what I was looking for: more of the social history in each community, what it took to build a massive edifice in these not very large communities, from whence the funding and what didn't get funded because they were built
December 16, 2007
for Gothic Architecture
My prof. said this is the most basic book on the subject, but it still confused me. Maybe architecture is not my forte. Wilson may be too opinionated for his own good, at least, not good for a textbook. However, very thorough, covers most regions of Europe.
My prof. said this is the most basic book on the subject, but it still confused me. Maybe architecture is not my forte. Wilson may be too opinionated for his own good, at least, not good for a textbook. However, very thorough, covers most regions of Europe.
September 1, 2007
For my gothic architecture class--very readable, especially for those of us who have zero art history background...
June 5, 2014
Nice book on the architecture. The glossary and "map" of the terms is awesome. I would have liked to see more on the history of the period and why these great cathedrals were built.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews