Religious

The Sunday Times paperback bestseller and Waterstones Non-Fiction Book of the Month*Featuring a brand new chapter!*'Never have the joys of exploring the churches and cathedrals of this country been so vividly conveyed as they are in this engaging and...

**WINNER OF THE SCOTTISH NON-FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD 2021****A FINANCIAL TIMES, I PAPER AND STYLIST BOOK OF THE YEAR**'In his absorbing book about the lost and the gone, Peter Ross takes us from Flanders Fields to Milltown to Kensal Green, to...

A glorious illustrated history of sixteen of the world's greatest cathedrals, interwoven with the extraordinary stories of the people who built them. 'An impeccable guide to the golden age of ecclesiastical architecture' The Times 'Vivid, colourful...

'[a] gem of a book' SpectatorChurches and cathedrals were originally built to be read. They are alive with images and symbols. But today few people, including regular visitors, truly understand the wealth of meaning in what they find there.How to Read a...

'Inspired . . . encourages us to take a fresh look at the familiar' - The TimesEngland's cathedrals are the nation's glory. They tower over its landscape, outranking palaces, castles and mansions. They attract roughly half the nation's population each...

The walls of medieval churches were brightly painted with religious imagery and colourful patterns, and although often shadows of their former selves, these paintings are among the most enigmatic art to survive the Middle Ages. This beautifully...

A ring of spectacular cemeteries, developed at the edges of London in the decade from 1832, have long been referred to as The Magnificent Seven. At the time, they set a new aesthetic for the burial of the dead, and remain rich in social history and...

The first history of all the English cathedrals, from Birmingham and Bury St Edmunds to Worcester and York Minster England's sixty-two Anglican and Catholic cathedrals are some of our most iconic buildings, attracting millions of worshippers and...

READERS OF EUROPEAN HISTORY WILL LOVE THIS BEAUTIFULLY DESIGNED BOOK!"Simon Jenkins has provided a feast for both eyes and mind in this sumptuously illustrated guide to Europe's greatest cathedrals" John Barton, author of A History of the Bible"As ever,...

The extraordinary story of St. Paul's Churchyard-the area of London that was a center of social and intellectual life for more than a millennium St. Paul's Cathedral stands at the heart of London, an enduring symbol of the city. Less well known is the...

The countryside, towns and cities of Britain are full of churches. They represent some of the most iconic, beautiful and occasionally bizarre buildings in the country. They have a lot to say about our history, our art and our ideas. But how do you read...

Even now, the great cathedrals of the Middle Ages overwhelm us by their imagination, technical daring and sheer scale. How could such structures be built when cities had only a few thousand inhabitants and only the most primitive machinery was available?...

Simon Jenkins has travelled the length and breadth of England to select his thousand best churches. Organised by county, each church is described - often with delightful asides - and given a star-rating from one to five. All of the county sections are...

Henri Matisse described the Chapel of the Rosary, the chief labour of his final years, as the 'gathering together' of his lifetime's work. Although widely known as 'Matisse's Chapel', the building's remarkable 'modern' design and decoration emerged from...

Britain's tiny Jewish community (about 263,000 people) is the oldest non-Christian minority in the country. In 1656 Jews returned to England after an absence of nearly 400 years and the Jewish community has enjoyed a history of continuous settlement in...

Churches are Britain's most completely surviving class of historic monument. They are also usually the oldest buildings within their settlements. As such, these structures, from parish church to cathedral, from medieval to Georgian, are a huge...

Kent is often referred to as 'the cradle of English Christianity'. Canterbury is not only home to the Anglican Communion but also the location of St Martin's Church, the oldest church in England in continuous use. Kent's religious heritage has benefitted...

Churches are valuable not only for their significance within Christian religion, but also because of the historic value of the buildings themselves, and the artistic objects, furnishings and decorative features contained within them. This book explains...

For centuries the great religious buildings of Great Britain have inspired and fascinated pilgrims and visitors from around the world. The beauty and diversity of British ecclesiastical architecture is superbly captured in this guide to over 60 of...

'Compelling... fascinating' Spectator'Abounding with excellent little stories' Financial TimesThis is the story of one of the most magnificent achievements of the Italian Renaissance, and the architect behind it.Even in an age of soaring skyscrapers and...

The ruined silhouette of the Parthenon on its hill above Athens is one of the world's most famous images. Its 'looted' Elgin Marbles are a global cause celebre. But what actually are they? In a revised and updated edition, Mary Beard, award winning...

Norfolk has long been recognised as one of the best counties in which to study parish churches. It has one of the highest densities of medieval churches in northern Europe reflecting its greater population and wealth in earlier times. It is also home to...

In the 15th century a new home was built for the priceless holy relics taken from Jerusalem centuries before - a building that, to the initiated, would explain everything about what had gone before and a structure that would be a recreation of the...

Suffolk boasts by far the greatest number of Domesday churches of any county surveyed by William the Conqueror in 1086. Over the centuries, many of these buildings have been renewed, enlarged and altered, whilst others have sadly disappeared either...

The Battle of Hastings in 1066 is the one date forever seared on the British national psyche. It enabled the Norman Conquest that marked the end of Anglo-Saxon England. But there was much more to the Normans than the invading army Duke William shipped...

This compact and accessible book is for anyone who would like to understand more about the architectural history of English churches. Clear and easy to use, the text explains the key components of church architecture-stylistic developments, functional...

London's City Churches include some of the Capital's finest architecture. The sanctity of the church has prevented London's churches from being redeveloped or altered in any significant way and so they remain historical islands while the environment...

The Pinecone is set in the village of Wreay, near Carlisle, where a masterpiece in Victorian architecture stands - the strangest and most magical church in England. This vivid, original book tells the story of its builder, Sarah Losh, strong-willed and...

Mosques are among the greatest architectural feats and have a profound beauty: their spiritual purpose adds to their mystery and lustre. This visually stunning volume illustrates the development of the basic mosque structural and decorative elements...

The county of Gloucestershire has a rich and varied past which is reflected in its historic churches. The landscape is dominated by two principal features - the River Severn and the Cotswold hills - and Gloucestershire's churches help demonstrate the...

It is fascinating to think that many hundreds of generations of Londoners lie beneath the city without us knowing. Over many centuries burial grounds have been developed, built over and then forgotten, often beneath playgrounds, gardens or car parks...

Our parish churches constitute a living patrimony without precise European parallel. Their cultural riches are astonishing, not only for their quality and quantity, but also their diversity and interest. Fine art and architecture here combine...

The Genius of Japanese Carpentry tells the story of the 1200-year-old Yakushiji monastery in Nara, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the dedicated modern-day craftsmen who are working to restore what has been lost to the depredations of time, fire and...

The ruin of St Peter's College has sat on a wooded hilltop above the village of Cardross for more than three decades. Over that time, with altars crumbling, graffiti snaking across its walls and nature reclaiming its concrete, it has gained a mythical,...

BBC Countryfile Magazine praised Dixe Wills for writing `intelligently and amusingly, with evident excitement and imagination', qualities that he brings to Tiny Churches. Beautifully presented in full colour throughout, the book uncovers 60 of the...

'[a] gem of a book' SpectatorChurches and cathedrals were originally built to be read. They are alive with images and symbols. But today few people, including regular visitors, truly understand the wealth of meaning in what they find there.How to Read a...

A fascinating guide to decoding the secret language of the churches of England through the medieval carved markings and personal etchings found on our church walls from archaeologist Matthew Champion.'Rare, lovely glimmers of everyday life in the Middle...

This beautiful and groundbreaking book examines the use of sacred geometry and cosmology in Gothic cathedral design. Renowned geometer and lecturer Tom Bree demonstrates how medieval Master Masons combined their knowledge of the practical building arts...

Orkney's Italian Chapel was built by Italian POWs held on the island during the Second World War. In the sixty-five years since it was built it has become an enduring symbol of peace and hope around the world. The story of who built the chapel and how it...

This book describes the process of erecting the great cathedrals in the Gothic era. Since there are no contemporary accounts of the techniques used by medieval builders, this study explains the building equipment and falsework needed, the actual...