St Paul's: The Cathedral Church of London, 604-2004 (Studies in British Art) [Hardcover]

Derek Keene (Editor), Arthur Burns (Editor), Andrew Saint (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0300092768 | ISBN-13: 978-0300092769 | Publication Date: July 11, 2004

St Paul’s is unique among English cathedrals for its association with the richest city in the realm and with the secular and political life of the capital. At the same time it has been a lively site of devotion, often innovative in liturgy, music, and decoration, and sometimes at the heart of conflict between opposing views. The story of St Paul’s offers many insights into the history of England as a whole and into the part played by religion in both private and public life.

This magnificent book—the first comprehensive history of St Paul’s Cathedral in thirty years—opens with a series of historical overviews of the cathedral, of the people associated with it, and of its religious, social, and political significance, from its foundation to the present. Additional essays investigate various topics related to the successive cathedrals on the site, and many well-chosen illustrations underline these themes and present the splendid features of the cathedral as it is today.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Fascinating. . . . An utterly compelling new book. . . . The illustrations, some familiar, many more shown here for the first time, are stunning, though one almost hesitates to say so, as this is so much more than a picture book. . . . This book is what Wren and his family wanted: a lasting monument worthy of the man and of his emblematic building.” —Lisa Jardine, Times (London)

“Every essay is of interest, none is off-puttingly technical, and the book is sumptuously and informatively illustrated.”—Eamon Duffy, Sunday Telegraph

About the Author

Derek Keene is Leverhulme Professor of Comparative Metropolitan History at the Institute of Historical Research at the University of London. Arthur Burns is senior lecturer in modern British history at King’s College London. Andrew Saint is professor of architecture at the University of Cambridge.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 554 pages
• Publisher: Yale University Press (July 11, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0300092768
• ISBN-13: 978-0300092769
• Product Dimensions: 12.9 x 10.3 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,680,854 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Professor of Modern British History at King's College London, Arthur Burns is Literary Director of the Royal Historical Society, and is co-editor of the series Studies in Modern British Religious History published by Boydell and Brewer. He is the honorary vice-president of the Church of England Record Society.

Most of his writing has concentrated on the modern history of the Church of England, although he has also published on political reform in nineteenth-century Britain. His most ambitious academic work has been as one of three directors of the Clergy of the Church of England Database (www.theclergydatabase.org.uk) which is gradually making freely available online the career details of all Anglican clergy in England and Wales from the Reformation to the mid nineteenth century. He is currently writing a book on the extraordinary tradition of Christian socialism at Thaxted in Essex inaugurated by Conrad Noel.

In 2004 the history of St Paul's Cathedral that he coedited with Derek Keene and Andrew Saint was awarded the William Berger Prize for British Art History.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars WREN'S MASTERPIECE, September 29, 2006

By 

Shannon Deason (Houston) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: St Paul's: The Cathedral Church of London, 604-2004 (Studies in British Art) (Hardcover)

This book is quite simply exquisite. The images are so vivid you feel like you could dive into them, and the text is scholarly and highly informative. This is the definitive book on St. Paul's, it is simply perfect. The history of this building is fascinating and the building itself is breathtaking, though amazingly Wren's original concept for the structure was even more spectacular. If you have any interest in St. Paul's, iconic architecture, or just love beautiful books, then I cannot concieve of any way you would be disappointed in this purchase. Expensive, yes, but well worth the price. Highly recommended.