A keepsake – and to-do list – of Europe’s greatest cathedrals

In his new book on Europe’s cathedrals, Simon Jenkins begins with the claim that the greatest among them are our most important European works of art. Greater than the paintings of El Greco or Berthe Morisot? More momentous than the buildings of Mies van der Rohe or Norman Foster? More important than the organ music of J.S. Bach or the Duruflé Requiem?

Still, I see his point. Given the vast numbers who have visited these cathedrals over the centuries for worship or on tour, their powerful multimodal communication (cathedrals incorporate the visual arts, architecture, stained glass, music, wood- and iron-work, masonry, weaving and many other forms of expression) and the transcendence they have offered, whether through their inherent beauty or their sacredness, it seems possible to argue that no other form of human expression has had so powerful an impact on so many people.

This book is expertly written, as you would expect of a work by Jenkins on church architecture, with thoughtful discussions of the buildings’ contexts, descriptions of each cathedral’s awe-inspiring features and odd bits, and comprehensible technical explanations of how they create a powerful effect on worshippers and visitors. It is not a scholarly tome, intended to be read straight through. It is, like some of the author’s previous works, a lavishly illustrated and beautifully produced coffee-table sort of book; but Jenkins’s expertise and lively style shine forth. Dip in at any point and read an entry or three and you will be well rewarded.

I have spent time in many of the cathedrals included here (and, incidentally, was introduced for the first time to some of those Jenkins praises: this book is at least as much a to-do list as a keepsake). Canterbury cathedral has been a writing home to me, and I later visited Rowan Williams there when he was archbishop.