the cathedrals of britain

Description

Britain has some of the most beautiful cathedrals in Europe. Like all cathedrals, those of Britain are a testimony both to the driving power of faith and human ambitions to leave monuments that are lasting and beautiful. Whether at Canterbury or Durham, massive and awesome in their grandeur and majesty, or at Oxford, where Britain’s smallest cathedral, Christ Church, has a diminutive jewel-like beauty, the cathedrals of Britain are a part of living history. In an age when almost all buildings were only one or two storeys high, the great medieval cathedrals towered inspiringly over the surrounding countryside and often took their builders many generations to finish. The creation of a cathedral was truly an act of faith. Everything present in the building was put there to praise God the Architect; and the unique power of the cathedral to impress us — which is as powerful today as it ever was — has rightly been described as ‘frozen music’. In his lively and stimulating text David L. Edwards, Provost of Southwark Cathedral in London and a well-known historian, looks at eighteen of the most beautiful and interesting of these ‘Palaces of God’. He gives each cathedral a separate chapter in which he outlines its history and development. The text is lavishly illustrated with outstanding colour photographs and with superb black-and-white photographs that show details of especial interest. A special feature of The Cathedrals of Britain is an introductory section which concisely surveys all the cathedrals ancient or modern, Anglican or Roman Catholic and gives the reader a firm understanding of the different styles of cathedral architecture and a clear view of the cathedral’s place in history. Here in words and over 115 illustrations is a celebration of a heritage. David L. Edwards was a schoolboy in the shadow of Canterbury Cathedral, at the King’s School. As a scholar of Magdalen College, Oxford (1949—52) and a Fellow of All Souls Oxford (1952-59) he often attended services in the city’s little cathedral, Christ Church and in the great chapel of King’s College, Cambridge, where he was Dean (1966-70 ). He was a canon of Westminster Abbey (1970-78) and Dean of the magnificent Norman cathedral in Norwich (1978-82) before moving to London in 1983 to become Provost of Southwark Cathedral, which is his present responsibility and love. He was Chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons 1972-78. His other publications include a history of Christian England from the Romans to 1914 in 3 volumes (Collins, 1981-— 84) and The Futures of Christianity (Hodder & Stoughton, 1987). He is a weekly contributor to the Church Times as chief book reviewer and leader writer, and is an expert on church history.