School Library Journal Review
Gr 5-8-- More than a history of medieval churches and their construction, this book deals with the lives of the workers, clergy, and worshippers for whom the cathedral was the nexus of life. Each specific topic is presented in a two-page layout, featuring cutaways of the structure itself on some of the pages. A simple and straightforward text complements the full-color illustrations. Macdonald discusses some of the less attractive aspects of medieval life, such as the often short and peril-filled lives of stone quarry workers. She also points out that cathedrals are not just a phenomenon of the Middle Ages; a chapter on modern expressions of the architectural form describes the National Cathedral in Washington, D. C., the Cathedral of the Holy Family in Barcelona, and St. John the Divine in New York City. David Macaulay's Cathedral (Houghton, 1981) is a better treatment of construction techniques, but this is a worthwhile effort. --David N. Pauli, Missoula Public Library, MT (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
The author of A Medieval Castle, also in the ``Inside Story'' series, presents the ingenious, devoted, and indefatigable builders who perfected the medieval cathedral as a stone prayer to God and a place of community pride. Though again treading on the heels of David Macaulay, Macdonald and James hold their own, pointing out the religious significance of a bishop's seat, describing pilgrims' routes to other cathedrals, depicting the daily life of both workers and the religious community, and showing the variety of arts and crafts necessary to construction. In James's precisely detailed color illustrations, tiny figures climb dizzying heights of scaffolding to perform their tasks; the lofty elevation and difficulties of working with massive stone blocks on flimsy scaffolds should ignite interest in young folks. A few annoying picture captions don't parallel the text (e.g., ``St. James'' becomes ``Santiago''); still, a wealth of information is provided here in attractive style. ``Cathedral Facts and Building Styles'' are appended; glossary; index. (Nonfiction. 10+)
