Master Builders of the Middle Ages

by David Jacobs

Today, the great cathedrals of Europe stand as beautiful, imposing monuments - the pride of parishioners and the wonder of tourists. It is difficult for us now, even with all our engineering and architectural skills, to imagine the extraordinary ways these medieval houses of worship were constructed. Midway through the twelfth century, the building of cathedrals became a crusade to erect awe-inspiring churches across Europe. In their zeal, bishops, monks, masons, and workmen created the architectural style known as Gothic, arguably Christianity’s greatest contribution to the world’s art and architecture. The style evolved slowly and almost accidentally as medieval artisans combined ingenuity, inspiration, and brute strength to create a fitting monument to their God. Here are the dramatic stories of the building of Saint-Denis, Notre Dame, Chartres, Reims, and other Gothic cathedrals.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Art, Architecture, France

103 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 1, 1969

Reviews

[Cora P Bartemes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting Walk in Gothic Developments

A surprisingly good book. I was expecting a book that was more about how the cathedrals were built. Instead, I was treated to a marvelous account of how the Gothic style of architecture came about.

[Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Picked up this book to read during a holiday through Austria and Germany. It really helped to understand the architecture and the efforts to build these magnificent cathedrals and castles. Highly recommended for anyone interested in the period.

[Suzanne Pixley · Rating 5 out of 5]

The artistry of Gothic cathedrals

This is such an outstanding collection of information about the architecture of Gothic Cathedrals predominately in France, Germany and Spain. But, more so the author connects you with the expertise , creativity, and artistry of those who not only designed but also who were involved in the building of these incredible works of art. I read this with Wikipedia at my side to find additional details to each of the mentioned cathedrals. Any one who plans a visit to France or even to see St John the Divine or the Washington Cathedral needs to read this book to truly appreciate Master Builders.

[Neil Hunt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Concise history and explanation of the origin and evolution of the gothic style

Description of the origin of gothic style so different from the Romanesque style it followed. The story starts at St. Denis, motivated by the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, and then the spread of the style to Chartres, the Ile de France cathedrals, further through France, Britain, Germany and the Low Countries, Italy, and Spain.

Nice gallery of photos illustrating the style.

I enjoyed the discussion of the progression of the trade of the Masons who made it possible, and their gradual elevation of status from serfs to respected guildsmen.

I would have liked to see some architectural diagrams to accompany the text. The photos at the end are good, but were a surprise, and the text makes no reference to them - it just explains complex architectural concepts in words, where pictures would be considerably more effective.

This is a history book, not an architecture or technology book. I had secretly hoped it would be more about the building and construction techniques.

[Joanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful tour of the rise of Gothic Cathedrals, starting with Saint Denis. My husband and I attended a lecture in Boston many years ago on early Gothic Cathedrals and were so intrigued that we made seeing these wonders our focus on a trip to France. We started at Saint Denis very early in the morning, on to Amiens, and probably 6 or more, ending with Chartres and then Notre-Dame in Paris, a wonderfully purposeful trip. This filled in and reminded me of these beautiful examples. It is an easy read with about 23 pages of gallery. I definitely recommend it.

[Syed Muhammad Hamza · Rating 4 out of 5]

A brief history book on the architecture of middle ages.
You will get to know Gothic architecture more deeply.
It comprises the time of Gothic architecture's birth and downfall.
There are also beautiful illustrations and pictures of cathedrals and sculptures that keep the reader interested to the book till he has read it completely.
I'll recommend it to all Art and architecture lovers.

[Alison Hunter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting but not what I wanted. I was expecting a book about how the cathedrals were built, as others have said. But now I appreciate that Follett’s book The Pillars Of The Earth was pretty accurate.

[Dale Jennings · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brief but good story of Gothic cathedrals, mostly in France. The kindle version has the few pictures in the back of the book, but there’s plenty of colour pictures available online

Kindle version also gives you the ability to get definitions of unfamiliar architecture vocabulary.

[Michael Deighton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cathedral Builders of Europe

Insisted into the stone masons and artisans that built the great cathedrals of Europe! An interesting book on the history is styles that were built over the centuries!

[Don · Rating 1 out of 5]

I quit reading it. It just seemed to be a summary of different buildings and I wanted more detail about how they were built.

[Linda Ingram · Rating 3 out of 5]

Informative, but...

I liked the subject matter of this book. It was informative, but extremely dry. However, the book did inspire me to go to each cathedral location.

[Peggie Ross · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot of information packed into a short, very readable book. I learned a lot about the history of the great cathedrals which piqued an interest to learn more about specific buildings.

[LRKK · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite competent brief introduction to the subject. Recommended.

[Truls Ljungström · Rating 5 out of 5]

En av mina absoluta favoriter som barn, och ofta omläst.

[Chaz Chiclana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very informative about the history of gothic architecture.

[Betsy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short but interesting book about the Gothic period in architecture, sculpture and tapestry. Having visited some of these beautiful cathedrals with their memorable windows such as Chartres and Notre Dame, I can appreciate the years of dedicated work that went into their building. The author also discusses the effect of the Gothic on other countries besides France. Of special interest to me was the mention of St. John the Divine on the the Upper West Side of Manhattan. They have been working on this Gothic church for over 100 years, using many of the same techniques that gave the world Gothic architecture over 800 years ago.

[William L O'Neal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interest in, but would like more pictures.

This was a well written history of the cathedrals and very interesting. They are so beautiful I was hoping for a lot of pictures. There are none of the English cathedrals and very few of the American ones.

[Rob · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nothing too noteworthy here. Was hoping for details about "how they did it", but that's not what the book is about. Author betrays some of the anti-Christian biases I am sensitive to -- "the DARK ages" and the routine diatribes about enlightenment humanism "freeing" mankind.

[Alvin Bakun · Rating 3 out of 5]

The illustrations at the end of Kindle edition should have placed in the main text. Seeing the pictures during their explanation would have been an asset.