Customer Reviews

The English Cathedral

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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.