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Universe Of Stone: A Biography Of Chartres Cathedral (2008)

by Philip Ball(Favorite Author)

3.68 of 5 Votes: 2

ISBN

0061154296 (ISBN13: 9780061154294)

languge

English

genre

History & Biography

publisher

Harper

review 1: I really enjoyed this book. I have a very basic background in Medieval history and none at all in architecture, but didn't find Philip Ball at all too much. Although he deals with some fairly complex ideas (or what seem complex for those who know nothing about them!) he makes them easy to understand and not only interesting but completely fascinating.Frankly, I was entranced. I found the philosophical and religious links to the Gothic style interesting and the detail about the style's development and the way the cathedrals were built fascinating.
review 2: A very exciting tour de force through Gothic buildings in particular and to the science of that time. Several concepts from engineering and architecture are introduced in order to explain the Goth cathedral. ... moreThe mechanics of arcs, vaults, foundations, etc are explained and put in the context of Europe in the X - XIII centuries. Mainly, is a book about science in those times, and the cite from Adelard of Bath is overwhelming: "If we turned our backs on the amazing rational beauty of the universe we live in, we should indeed deserve to be driven therefrom, like a guest unappreciative of the house into which he has been received." A very good definition of science.The ideas in the book try to guide the reader to the fact that buildings, even cathedrals, are culture-dependent: the paradigm behind "Gothic cathedrals" is the result of the new of social perception about the universe. Cathedrals, being maps of the universe, reflects those new views. less

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