The English Cathedral [Hardcover]

Tim Tatton-Brown (Author), John Crook (Photographer)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 2004

With over 240 colour photographs, this book celebrates all the fascinating and diverse cathedrals, both Anglican and Roman Catholic, to be found on English soil. It covers all 63 cathedrals, from Truro in Cornwall to Carlisle near the Scottish border. Written by an expert in church history and design, the text sheds light on the cathedrals' evolving architectural styles and changing roles through the centuries.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Tim Tatton Brown has been an archaeologist for more than 30 years, during which time he has gained an intimate knowledge of numerous English cathedrals. He has acted as a consultant to Canterbury, Chichester, Rochester and Salisbury cathedrals - as well as to the two 'royal peculiars' of Westminster Abbey and St George's Chapel, Windsor - and is also the author of Great cathedrals of' Britain (BBC). John Crook, a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries and an honorary research fellow of Reading University, is an independent architectural historian and a professional architectural and topographical photographer. Recent commissions include architectural photography in Jerusalem and a major new illustrated history of Winchester Cathedral.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: New Holland Publishers (Australia) (March 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1843301202
• ISBN-13: 978-1843301202
• Product Dimensions: 11.6 x 9.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #640,896 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent addition to a collection, April 23, 2008

By 

E. K. Byham (Northern New Jersey, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: The English Cathedral (Hardcover)

I own virtually every book in print on English cathedrals and this book is an important addition to that collection for several reasons. First, the quality of the photography is superior to any other such book. They were all done for this book and were taken over a short period of time. Second, this book includes the Roman Catholic cathedrals as well as those of the Church of England. Third, it gives a handy summary of pertinent information about each cathedral. Finally, it has an enormously helpful map with the Anglican dioceses superimposed over the county boundaries, as well as small maps showing the Roman dioceses and two historic diocesan maps.

Of course, this book is not perfect. It lacks floor plans. Two cathedrals lack exterior views, and several other exterior shots fail to give a sense of what the building looks like -- even though some of the exterior pictures, such as that of St. Alban's, capture the most important architectural elements. The biggest disappointment to me is the comparative lack of architectural and design criticism. There is a tiny bit of chastisement of Victorian outrages, but I became accustomed to more pointed critiques in the first book on English cathedrals I owned, and on which I still rely, Collins Guide to Cathedrals, Abbeys & Priories of England and Wales, by Henry Thorold, 1986, and in many of my subsequent purchases. But that book has black-and-white photography and perhaps too much detail for many readers. This effort by Tatton-Brown and Crook is an excellent combination of coffee-table book beauty with sufficient academic context.