England's Thousand Best Churches

From Library Journal
This excellent county-by-county survey celebrates the classic beauty, quirky individuality, and, in most cases, sublime resilience of England's parish churches, large and small, old and new, in city, town, and village. Jenkins, a veteran journalist and prolific author, shares his knowledge of the artistic and historic treasures stored in English churches with the gusto of a connoisseur, leavening his precise and vivid descriptions of each church's features with wry observations about the foibles of man, medieval or modern. He also ranks the churches using a five-star system. The text does assume some familiarity with the terminology of church architecture and the regions of England; fortunately, a glossary clarifies most terms, and maps and brief introductions to each county should help non-Anglophiles get their bearings. The general introduction outlines English church history and explains the criteria for evaluating the churches, emphasizing accessibility. Over 100 stunning color photographs from the archive of Country Life magazine, along with two indexes, one of artists and one of places, add to the appeal of this irresistibly browsable volume. Students of history, religion, and architecture will enjoy the lively insights, while the armchair traveler will be taken on a delightful odyssey across time and space. Highly recommended.DVivian Reed, Long Beach P.L., CA Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.


Book Description
Parish churches are England's glory. They enshrine the history of a people-their art, architecture, and faith. As public monuments, they house a gallery of vernacular art, from different periods and in a wide range of styles, that are without equal in the world. Award-winning English journalist Simon Jenkins has traveled the length and breadth of England to select his thousand best churches. Each entry is prefaced by a map locating the church and illustrated with full-color photographs from the Country Life Archive. Organized by county, each church is described, often with delightful asides, and is given a star rating from one to five, with the four- and five-star churches listed as the "hundred best." This complete guide is invaluable for anyone interested in touring England's best churches.


About the Author
Simon Jenkins is an award-winning journalist for The Times (London) and the Evening Standard. He is a member of the Millennium Commission and chair of the Buildings Books Trust.


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This excellent county-by-county survey celebrates the classic beauty, quirky individuality, and, in most cases, sublime resilience of England's parish churches, large and small, old and new, in city, town, and village. Jenkins, a veteran journalist and prolific author, shares his knowledge of the artistic and historic treasures stored in English churches with the gusto of a connoisseur, leavening his precise and vivid descriptions of each church's features with wry observations about the foibles of man, medieval or modern. He also ranks the churches using a five-star system. The text does assume some familiarity with the terminology of church architecture and the regions of England; fortunately, a glossary clarifies most terms, and maps and brief introductions to each county should help non-Anglophiles get their bearings. The general introduction outlines English church history and explains the criteria for evaluating the churches, emphasizing accessibility. Over 100 stunning color photographs from the archive of Country Life magazine, along with two indexes, one of artists and one of places, add to the appeal of this irresistibly browsable volume. Students of history, religion, and architecture will enjoy the lively insights, while the armchair traveler will be taken on a delightful odyssey across time and space. Highly recommended.--Vivian Reed, Long Beach P.L., CA Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.\


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