Europe's 100 Best Cathedrals

Description

From Toledo to Moscow and Stockholm to Seville, discover architectural gems and historical insights from the Sunday times bestselling author of Britain's 100 Best Railway Stations Europe's cathedrals are magnificent. They outstrip palaces and castles. They are the most sensational group of structures anywhere in the world - which everyone should 'see before they die'. They are also hugely popular, most of them absolutely packed. They are humankind's greatest creations. In Europe's 1oo Best Cathedrals, Simon Jenkins has travelled the continent - from Chartres to York, Cologne to Florence, Toledo to Moscow and Stockholm to Seville - to illuminate old favourites and highlight new discoveries. Beautifully illustrated with colour photographs throughout, this joyous exploration of Europe's history tells the stories behind these wonders, showing the cathedral's central role in the European imagination. Readers will be inspired to make their own pilgrimage to all one hundred of them.

Simon Jenkins is author of the bestselling A Short History of England, A Short History of Europe, Britain's 100 Best Railway Stations, England's Thousand Best Churches and England's Thousand Best Houses. He is a former Editor of the Evening Standard and The Times, and columnist for the Guardian.

[A] feast of a book about the great cathedrals of Europe....His lively reactions make you long to visit or revisit these places. ..illuminating -- Ysenda Maxtone Graham * The Times * Expertly written...a lavishly illustrated and beautifully produced coffee-table sort of book... Jenkins's expertise and lively style shine forth ... as much a to-do list as a keepsake -- Greg Garrett * Spectator * The architectural and artistic detail is rich, but intelligible to the non-specialist reader... At a time when European travel remains frustrating, the book occasionally makes salivating reading... this is a useful addition to the bookshelves of anyone who cares about architecture, and prompts one to reach for one's passport as swiftly as possible -- Simon Heffer * The Daily Telegraph * This attractive book will inspire you to do more cathedral-crawling -- Christopher Howse * Telegraph *