Comments by Michael Calum Jacques author of '1st Century Radical'., 21 Nov 2008
This is both a beautiful and an informative book; these two qualities do not always grace the same volume! Anybody who loves genuinely quaint, remote and simply curious little churches and chapels should savour this book by Richard Surman.

It includes features upon some of Britain and Ireland's most fascinating churches, with each one guarding its own secret(s) which could be anything from artwork, carvings, stories, legends or simply an architectural peculiarity. This book includes hundreds of beautiful photographs of the featured buildings, along with maps showing their location and a useful, illustrated glossary.

The secrets of these churches cover aeons of time and the book features examples like the remote Romney Marsh churches or St Cwyfan's, perched on its rocky islet on the coast of Anglesey. Each one has its own story to reveal, like the seaside church in Whitby whose roof was constructed by local shipwrights. The author presents articles on 250 churches from all over the British Isles.

Additionally, this book is a genuinely pleasant read, leaving the reader with a positive 'feel good' factor, if that makes sense! There are various books about the wonderful churches to be seen and relished in the UK and Eire, and this is one of the better ones.

Michael Calum Jacques

Comments by Michael Calum Jacques author of '1st Century Radical'., 21 Nov 2008
This is both a beautiful and an informative book; these two qualities do not always grace the same volume! Anybody who loves genuinely quaint, remote and simply curious little churches and chapels should savour this book by Richard Surman.

It includes features upon some of Britain and Ireland's most fascinating churches, with each one guarding its own secret(s) which could be anything from artwork, carvings, stories, legends or simply an architectural peculiarity. This book includes hundreds of beautiful photographs of the featured buildings, along with maps showing their location and a useful, illustrated glossary.

The secrets of these churches cover aeons of time and the book features examples like the remote Romney Marsh churches or St Cwyfan's, perched on its rocky islet on the coast of Anglesey. Each one has its own story to reveal, like the seaside church in Whitby whose roof was constructed by local shipwrights. The author presents articles on 250 churches from all over the British Isles.

Additionally, this book is a genuinely pleasant read, leaving the reader with a positive 'feel good' factor, if that makes sense! There are various books about the wonderful churches to be seen and relished in the UK and Eire, and this is one of the better ones.

Michael Calum Jacques

A beautiful book, 26 Feb 2008
A beautiful book with beautiful pictures, but the small size of this book does not allow the pictures to be viewed to their best advantage. I would recommend the hard back version for the pure pleasure of sitting in an armchair and enjoying the pictures and script. If you want a book to put into the glove compartment of the car though; a book with a more comprehensive knowledge of the churches then choose 'The Church Explorers Handbook' by Clive Fewins.
The best choice of course is to buy both of them, I did.

guide book version of best selling book, 12 Oct 2007
This is the new 'guide book' version of How to Read a Church. It is designed to be taken out and about and has a soft cover. It is actually a bit heavier than the 'red cover' hardback version (around 500g) but it is looks and feels like many of the usual travel guides and guidebooks. It has an abridged text but there's plenty to read and there are lots of pictures (many the same as in the 'white cover' larger glossy version but there are some new ones too). I tried not to rate it because I know the author (hence the detailed knowledge of the different versions) - but the site won't let me do that so I've given it five stars because I do really like it! I've posted a picture showing the three versions next to each other for relative size.

Comments by Michael Calum Jacques author of '1st Century Radical'., 21 Nov 2008
This is both a beautiful and an informative book; these two qualities do not always grace the same volume! Anybody who loves genuinely quaint, remote and simply curious little churches and chapels should savour this book by Richard Surman.

It includes features upon some of Britain and Ireland's most fascinating churches, with each one guarding its own secret(s) which could be anything from artwork, carvings, stories, legends or simply an architectural peculiarity. This book includes hundreds of beautiful photographs of the featured buildings, along with maps showing their location and a useful, illustrated glossary.

The secrets of these churches cover aeons of time and the book features examples like the remote Romney Marsh churches or St Cwyfan's, perched on its rocky islet on the coast of Anglesey. Each one has its own story to reveal, like the seaside church in Whitby whose roof was constructed by local shipwrights. The author presents articles on 250 churches from all over the British Isles.

Additionally, this book is a genuinely pleasant read, leaving the reader with a positive 'feel good' factor, if that makes sense! There are various books about the wonderful churches to be seen and relished in the UK and Eire, and this is one of the better ones.

Michael Calum Jacques

A beautiful book, 26 Feb 2008
A beautiful book with beautiful pictures, but the small size of this book does not allow the pictures to be viewed to their best advantage. I would recommend the hard back version for the pure pleasure of sitting in an armchair and enjoying the pictures and script. If you want a book to put into the glove compartment of the car though; a book with a more comprehensive knowledge of the churches then choose 'The Church Explorers Handbook' by Clive Fewins.
The best choice of course is to buy both of them, I did.

guide book version of best selling book, 12 Oct 2007
This is the new 'guide book' version of How to Read a Church. It is designed to be taken out and about and has a soft cover. It is actually a bit heavier than the 'red cover' hardback version (around 500g) but it is looks and feels like many of the usual travel guides and guidebooks. It has an abridged text but there's plenty to read and there are lots of pictures (many the same as in the 'white cover' larger glossy version but there are some new ones too). I tried not to rate it because I know the author (hence the detailed knowledge of the different versions) - but the site won't let me do that so I've given it five stars because I do really like it! I've posted a picture showing the three versions next to each other for relative size.

Great pictures - less background data, 23 Oct 2007
My view of the book is that the pictures are beautiful and it has a lot of content, but I would have preferred more details on the different subjects. Mostly only the explanation according to the christian belief is described, but since the christian churches' symbols are a mix of its own symbols and those of the previous religions, I feel there is a lot more to be said about the symbols than just this. I bought this book because of my interest in gargoyls and on this subject I think the explanation was a little "light".

Disappointing, 28 Jun 2007
This book is a well known so I made the mistake of buying on line without checking the contents. It's full of arcane items that most churches don't contain, and misses out so many things that can be found in churches everywhere that people ask questions about -- e.g. no mention of aumbries or lights in the index. It is more like a stuffy text book than a reference book. There is a gap in the market for a simpler book that is less comprehensive and therefore more accessible. Thank heavens for the Amazon returns service.

useful reference, 25 Jan 2006
A useful reference book for the vistor to churches who wants to know more.

How to read a church, 15 Oct 2005
The book has been written by a commited Christian, and several beliefs are stated as 'though they are facts- e.g."God guided the Israelites towards the Red Sea in a pillar cloud by day......" I personally do not accept this. Instead of concentrating on symbols, the author has taken the opportunity of paraphrasing,sometimes at length, many stories and other text from the Bible.
Some of the author's text is too egocentric e.g."(St.Lawrence's) jokes are a little rough for today's tastes." Has the author ever read Viz?
This is a "nice" book for "nice" people and the range of subject matter is too limited.

The book does what it says in the title, 21 Feb 2005
I enjoyed reading this book and will refer to it often in the future. One of my pleasures is to visit cathederals and churches to appreciate the architecture, the history and place in communiy - but I had little detailed knowledge.

This book covers a wide variety of topics, some of which are: the orientation of the church; types of halos (5 are well illustrated using clear line drawings); the masons designs of gargoyles; the roles of Jesus, Mary and the Saints (as a non practicing Christian this was very useful); it even has a descriptive drawings of the vestments of bishops and priests (and how many of you know what a Rochet or an Alb is, and who wears it).

The writing style is informative and economical - no wasted words, but the ideas and knowledge are conveyed well

The copy I got from Amazon is hard cover, but is easy to carry as it is only approx 135 mm by 210 mm with 246 pages. The photos are in black and white.

This book is a bargain - buy it.

Catherine Puglisi's magnificent book on Michelangelo Merisi, better known simply as Caravaggio begins with Caravaggio's beguiling self-portrait as Bacchus, painted around 1594 when the artist was in his early twenties. This is then dramatically contrasted with the devastating self-portrait of the artist as the severed head of John the Baptist, painted only 15 years later in 1610, the year of Caravaggio's untimely death. These two pictures frame the incredible career of one of the most brilliant and complex of all Baroque artists, which is comprehensively analysed in Puglisi's wonderful study.

The book moves with great lucidity from Caravaggio's early success in Rome, to his exile in Malta and Sicily and his later astonishing religious paintings, undertaken in the dark years prior to his untimely death. Puglisi argues that Caravaggio was not the socially alienated painter that tradition has assumed, but that his highly innovative work took place within a deeply self-conscious awareness of contemporary developments within the composition of still life, portraiture, and devotional painting. What is so persuasive about Puglisi's argument is that, rather than diminish our sense of Caravaggio's originality, it only heightens our understanding of his brilliance in both composition and the use of light and colour. The final section of the book is particularly compelling in its account of Caravaggio's approach towards the composition of his work, as well as offering perceptive comments on the biographical assumptions which have grown up around the painter.

Throughout, Puglisi's passion for the paintings shines through; the book is beautifully produced, with nearly 200 wonderful illustrations, most in colour, a fascinating appendix of contemporary documents on the painter's life, and a checklist of all of Caravaggio's work. Caravaggio is a splendid book, which is undoubtedly destined to become the standard work in English on one of the greatest painters of Renaissance Italy. --Jerry Brotton

Comments by Michael Calum Jacques author of '1st Century Radical'., 21 Nov 2008
This is both a beautiful and an informative book; these two qualities do not always grace the same volume! Anybody who loves genuinely quaint, remote and simply curious little churches and chapels should savour this book by Richard Surman.

It includes features upon some of Britain and Ireland's most fascinating churches, with each one guarding its own secret(s) which could be anything from artwork, carvings, stories, legends or simply an architectural peculiarity. This book includes hundreds of beautiful photographs of the featured buildings, along with maps showing their location and a useful, illustrated glossary.

The secrets of these churches cover aeons of time and the book features examples like the remote Romney Marsh churches or St Cwyfan's, perched on its rocky islet on the coast of Anglesey. Each one has its own story to reveal, like the seaside church in Whitby whose roof was constructed by local shipwrights. The author presents articles on 250 churches from all over the British Isles.

Additionally, this book is a genuinely pleasant read, leaving the reader with a positive 'feel good' factor, if that makes sense! There are various books about the wonderful churches to be seen and relished in the UK and Eire, and this is one of the better ones.

Michael Calum Jacques

A beautiful book, 26 Feb 2008
A beautiful book with beautiful pictures, but the small size of this book does not allow the pictures to be viewed to their best advantage. I would recommend the hard back version for the pure pleasure of sitting in an armchair and enjoying the pictures and script. If you want a book to put into the glove compartment of the car though; a book with a more comprehensive knowledge of the churches then choose 'The Church Explorers Handbook' by Clive Fewins.
The best choice of course is to buy both of them, I did.

guide book version of best selling book, 12 Oct 2007
This is the new 'guide book' version of How to Read a Church. It is designed to be taken out and about and has a soft cover. It is actually a bit heavier than the 'red cover' hardback version (around 500g) but it is looks and feels like many of the usual travel guides and guidebooks. It has an abridged text but there's plenty to read and there are lots of pictures (many the same as in the 'white cover' larger glossy version but there are some new ones too). I tried not to rate it because I know the author (hence the detailed knowledge of the different versions) - but the site won't let me do that so I've given it five stars because I do really like it! I've posted a picture showing the three versions next to each other for relative size.

Great pictures - less background data, 23 Oct 2007
My view of the book is that the pictures are beautiful and it has a lot of content, but I would have preferred more details on the different subjects. Mostly only the explanation according to the christian belief is described, but since the christian churches' symbols are a mix of its own symbols and those of the previous religions, I feel there is a lot more to be said about the symbols than just this. I bought this book because of my interest in gargoyls and on this subject I think the explanation was a little "light".

Disappointing, 28 Jun 2007
This book is a well known so I made the mistake of buying on line without checking the contents. It's full of arcane items that most churches don't contain, and misses out so many things that can be found in churches everywhere that people ask questions about -- e.g. no mention of aumbries or lights in the index. It is more like a stuffy text book than a reference book. There is a gap in the market for a simpler book that is less comprehensive and therefore more accessible. Thank heavens for the Amazon returns service.

useful reference, 25 Jan 2006
A useful reference book for the vistor to churches who wants to know more.

How to read a church, 15 Oct 2005
The book has been written by a commited Christian, and several beliefs are stated as 'though they are facts- e.g."God guided the Israelites towards the Red Sea in a pillar cloud by day......" I personally do not accept this. Instead of concentrating on symbols, the author has taken the opportunity of paraphrasing,sometimes at length, many stories and other text from the Bible.
Some of the author's text is too egocentric e.g."(St.Lawrence's) jokes are a little rough for today's tastes." Has the author ever read Viz?
This is a "nice" book for "nice" people and the range of subject matter is too limited.

The book does what it says in the title, 21 Feb 2005
I enjoyed reading this book and will refer to it often in the future. One of my pleasures is to visit cathederals and churches to appreciate the architecture, the history and place in communiy - but I had little detailed knowledge.

This book covers a wide variety of topics, some of which are: the orientation of the church; types of halos (5 are well illustrated using clear line drawings); the masons designs of gargoyles; the roles of Jesus, Mary and the Saints (as a non practicing Christian this was very useful); it even has a descriptive drawings of the vestments of bishops and priests (and how many of you know what a Rochet or an Alb is, and who wears it).

The writing style is informative and economical - no wasted words, but the ideas and knowledge are conveyed well

The copy I got from Amazon is hard cover, but is easy to carry as it is only approx 135 mm by 210 mm with 246 pages. The photos are in black and white.

This book is a bargain - buy it.

A wonderful book, 11 Aug 2004
This book must set the standard for books on Art History.
Catherine Puglisti writes so clearly that the narrative flows like a novel. All the sources are here and she has produced a mix of biography, social and religious history and art criticism which is unique. As the other reviews have said, the quantity and quality of the illustrations is superb.

Gorgeously illustrated, with balanced, insightful narrative, 23 May 2004
Caravaggio's pictures are lavishly illustrated here, but Puglisi gives you more for your money than just paintings. All the key sources (Baglione etc.) are given in full at the back, and her narrative covers both Caravaggio's pictures as well as his life with sensitivity and insight.
Studying Caravaggio, I read a variety of books, but this was the best by a mile. Very, very good value too.
"M" gives you polemic, albeit entertaining polemic.
This gives you sense and the evidence is before your eyes.

A great book, 12 Sep 2003
This book was essential during my History of Art course. It manages to be both informative and entertaining without being overly wordy like many art books. The images throughout were clear and extremely helpful during reading and the fact that they were in colour allows the reader to gain a fuller grasp about what the artist was trying to achieve.

This is a magnificent book that I recomend to everyone - be they art students or just people who are interested in the genius of Caravaggio. This book does what many books try vainly to do - be accessible to beginners and scholars alike. If only there were more authors like this in the art world...

brilliantly clear and concise, 24 May 2000
I must admit, I didn't know much about Caravaggio before I picked up this book or the artistical era for that matter. It does give you a great insight into the artist and his influences, sighting particular paintings of other artists that influenced Caravaggio's final master pieces. I thoroughly enjoyed it and it is definitly a must for the inexperienced aswell as the experienced artist or historian. A delgihtful read ( and excellant prints aswell),

Comments by Michael Calum Jacques author of '1st Century Radical'., 21 Nov 2008
This is both a beautiful and an informative book; these two qualities do not always grace the same volume! Anybody who loves genuinely quaint, remote and simply curious little churches and chapels should savour this book by Richard Surman.

It includes features upon some of Britain and Ireland's most fascinating churches, with each one guarding its own secret(s) which could be anything from artwork, carvings, stories, legends or simply an architectural peculiarity. This book includes hundreds of beautiful photographs of the featured buildings, along with maps showing their location and a useful, illustrated glossary.

The secrets of these churches cover aeons of time and the book features examples like the remote Romney Marsh churches or St Cwyfan's, perched on its rocky islet on the coast of Anglesey. Each one has its own story to reveal, like the seaside church in Whitby whose roof was constructed by local shipwrights. The author presents articles on 250 churches from all over the British Isles.

Additionally, this book is a genuinely pleasant read, leaving the reader with a positive 'feel good' factor, if that makes sense! There are various books about the wonderful churches to be seen and relished in the UK and Eire, and this is one of the better ones.

Michael Calum Jacques

A beautiful book, 26 Feb 2008
A beautiful book with beautiful pictures, but the small size of this book does not allow the pictures to be viewed to their best advantage. I would recommend the hard back version for the pure pleasure of sitting in an armchair and enjoying the pictures and script. If you want a book to put into the glove compartment of the car though; a book with a more comprehensive knowledge of the churches then choose 'The Church Explorers Handbook' by Clive Fewins.
The best choice of course is to buy both of them, I did.

guide book version of best selling book, 12 Oct 2007
This is the new 'guide book' version of How to Read a Church. It is designed to be taken out and about and has a soft cover. It is actually a bit heavier than the 'red cover' hardback version (around 500g) but it is looks and feels like many of the usual travel guides and guidebooks. It has an abridged text but there's plenty to read and there are lots of pictures (many the same as in the 'white cover' larger glossy version but there are some new ones too). I tried not to rate it because I know the author (hence the detailed knowledge of the different versions) - but the site won't let me do that so I've given it five stars because I do really like it! I've posted a picture showing the three versions next to each other for relative size.

Great pictures - less background data, 23 Oct 2007
My view of the book is that the pictures are beautiful and it has a lot of content, but I would have preferred more details on the different subjects. Mostly only the explanation according to the christian belief is described, but since the christian churches' symbols are a mix of its own symbols and those of the previous religions, I feel there is a lot more to be said about the symbols than just this. I bought this book because of my interest in gargoyls and on this subject I think the explanation was a little "light".

Disappointing, 28 Jun 2007
This book is a well known so I made the mistake of buying on line without checking the contents. It's full of arcane items that most churches don't contain, and misses out so many things that can be found in churches everywhere that people ask questions about -- e.g. no mention of aumbries or lights in the index. It is more like a stuffy text book than a reference book. There is a gap in the market for a simpler book that is less comprehensive and therefore more accessible. Thank heavens for the Amazon returns service.

useful reference, 25 Jan 2006
A useful reference book for the vistor to churches who wants to know more.

How to read a church, 15 Oct 2005
The book has been written by a commited Christian, and several beliefs are stated as 'though they are facts- e.g."God guided the Israelites towards the Red Sea in a pillar cloud by day......" I personally do not accept this. Instead of concentrating on symbols, the author has taken the opportunity of paraphrasing,sometimes at length, many stories and other text from the Bible.
Some of the author's text is too egocentric e.g."(St.Lawrence's) jokes are a little rough for today's tastes." Has the author ever read Viz?
This is a "nice" book for "nice" people and the range of subject matter is too limited.

The book does what it says in the title, 21 Feb 2005
I enjoyed reading this book and will refer to it often in the future. One of my pleasures is to visit cathederals and churches to appreciate the architecture, the history and place in communiy - but I had little detailed knowledge.

This book covers a wide variety of topics, some of which are: the orientation of the church; types of halos (5 are well illustrated using clear line drawings); the masons designs of gargoyles; the roles of Jesus, Mary and the Saints (as a non practicing Christian this was very useful); it even has a descriptive drawings of the vestments of bishops and priests (and how many of you know what a Rochet or an Alb is, and who wears it).

The writing style is informative and economical - no wasted words, but the ideas and knowledge are conveyed well

The copy I got from Amazon is hard cover, but is easy to carry as it is only approx 135 mm by 210 mm with 246 pages. The photos are in black and white.

This book is a bargain - buy it.

A wonderful book, 11 Aug 2004
This book must set the standard for books on Art History.
Catherine Puglisti writes so clearly that the narrative flows like a novel. All the sources are here and she has produced a mix of biography, social and religious history and art criticism which is unique. As the other reviews have said, the quantity and quality of the illustrations is superb.

Gorgeously illustrated, with balanced, insightful narrative, 23 May 2004
Caravaggio's pictures are lavishly illustrated here, but Puglisi gives you more for your money than just paintings. All the key sources (Baglione etc.) are given in full at the back, and her narrative covers both Caravaggio's pictures as well as his life with sensitivity and insight.
Studying Caravaggio, I read a variety of books, but this was the best by a mile. Very, very good value too.
"M" gives you polemic, albeit entertaining polemic.
This gives you sense and the evidence is before your eyes.

A great book, 12 Sep 2003
This book was essential during my History of Art course. It manages to be both informative and entertaining without being overly wordy like many art books. The images throughout were clear and extremely helpful during reading and the fact that they were in colour allows the reader to gain a fuller grasp about what the artist was trying to achieve.

This is a magnificent book that I recomend to everyone - be they art students or just people who are interested in the genius of Caravaggio. This book does what many books try vainly to do - be accessible to beginners and scholars alike. If only there were more authors like this in the art world...

brilliantly clear and concise, 24 May 2000
I must admit, I didn't know much about Caravaggio before I picked up this book or the artistical era for that matter. It does give you a great insight into the artist and his influences, sighting particular paintings of other artists that influenced Caravaggio's final master pieces. I thoroughly enjoyed it and it is definitly a must for the inexperienced aswell as the experienced artist or historian. A delgihtful read ( and excellant prints aswell),

excellent & informative, 23 Oct 2006
This small, compact hardback book is aimed to show the hidden world of the Green Man in the churches of Britain, Ireland & Europe & is neither biased towards Christian or Pagan interpretations of the Green Man. Priced very low for a hardback book, it is jammed with snippets of information & really is an absolute must.

Every other page has a full size colour picture with the explanatory page opposite also being interspersed with small colour pictures. Mike Harding, probably best known to most as a stand-up comic & for his Radio 2 folk music show has spent over 25 years searching for the Green Man both in Britain & elsewhere around the world.

Images shown are discussed within their context & tales of mythology & folklore are recounted as well. The Green Man appears on roof bosses, on pillars, on bench ends, misericords & in Borneo in church wall paintings. His spread is far yet his image remains essentially the same. The very unusual Green Man depicted as actually wearing jewellery by having a sun wheel around his neck at St Bartholomew's in Much Marcle is also featured in this book.

Whether you have just a vague interest in the Green Man or are a more serious student of his background, this is a book that you will surely want in your collection, you won't regret buying it.

Charming, 03 Sep 2002
For anyone interested in pagan subjects the Green Man is always there.
In this book by Harding you won't find much detail except, in the beautiful photographs taken by the author himself (or loaned by friends) of a great variety of heads from all around the world.
A must have little book.

Great little book, 14 Dec 2000
This is great book, I especially like the way that Mike has taken all the pictures of the Green Man himself, not only is he a great playwright, singer, rambler and historian, but he's a good photographer too.

Wonderful little primer, 15 Mar 1999
A good beginning book on the green man. Very enjoyable reading. It would make a great gift.

Comments by Michael Calum Jacques author of '1st Century Radical'., 21 Nov 2008
This is both a beautiful and an informative book; these two qualities do not always grace the same volume! Anybody who loves genuinely quaint, remote and simply curious little churches and chapels should savour this book by Richard Surman.

It includes features upon some of Britain and Ireland's most fascinating churches, with each one guarding its own secret(s) which could be anything from artwork, carvings, stories, legends or simply an architectural peculiarity. This book includes hundreds of beautiful photographs of the featured buildings, along with maps showing their location and a useful, illustrated glossary.

The secrets of these churches cover aeons of time and the book features examples like the remote Romney Marsh churches or St Cwyfan's, perched on its rocky islet on the coast of Anglesey. Each one has its own story to reveal, like the seaside church in Whitby whose roof was constructed by local shipwrights. The author presents articles on 250 churches from all over the British Isles.

Additionally, this book is a genuinely pleasant read, leaving the reader with a positive 'feel good' factor, if that makes sense! There are various books about the wonderful churches to be seen and relished in the UK and Eire, and this is one of the better ones.

Michael Calum Jacques

A beautiful book, 26 Feb 2008
A beautiful book with beautiful pictures, but the small size of this book does not allow the pictures to be viewed to their best advantage. I would recommend the hard back version for the pure pleasure of sitting in an armchair and enjoying the pictures and script. If you want a book to put into the glove compartment of the car though; a book with a more comprehensive knowledge of the churches then choose 'The Church Explorers Handbook' by Clive Fewins.
The best choice of course is to buy both of them, I did.

guide book version of best selling book, 12 Oct 2007
This is the new 'guide book' version of How to Read a Church. It is designed to be taken out and about and has a soft cover. It is actually a bit heavier than the 'red cover' hardback version (around 500g) but it is looks and feels like many of the usual travel guides and guidebooks. It has an abridged text but there's plenty to read and there are lots of pictures (many the same as in the 'white cover' larger glossy version but there are some new ones too). I tried not to rate it because I know the author (hence the detailed knowledge of the different versions) - but the site won't let me do that so I've given it five stars because I do really like it! I've posted a picture showing the three versions next to each other for relative size.

Great pictures - less background data, 23 Oct 2007
My view of the book is that the pictures are beautiful and it has a lot of content, but I would have preferred more details on the different subjects. Mostly only the explanation according to the christian belief is described, but since the christian churches' symbols are a mix of its own symbols and those of the previous religions, I feel there is a lot more to be said about the symbols than just this. I bought this book because of my interest in gargoyls and on this subject I think the explanation was a little "light".

Disappointing, 28 Jun 2007
This book is a well known so I made the mistake of buying on line without checking the contents. It's full of arcane items that most churches don't contain, and misses out so many things that can be found in churches everywhere that people ask questions about -- e.g. no mention of aumbries or lights in the index. It is more like a stuffy text book than a reference book. There is a gap in the market for a simpler book that is less comprehensive and therefore more accessible. Thank heavens for the Amazon returns service.

useful reference, 25 Jan 2006
A useful reference book for the vistor to churches who wants to know more.

How to read a church, 15 Oct 2005
The book has been written by a commited Christian, and several beliefs are stated as 'though they are facts- e.g."God guided the Israelites towards the Red Sea in a pillar cloud by day......" I personally do not accept this. Instead of concentrating on symbols, the author has taken the opportunity of paraphrasing,sometimes at length, many stories and other text from the Bible.
Some of the author's text is too egocentric e.g."(St.Lawrence's) jokes are a little rough for today's tastes." Has the author ever read Viz?
This is a "nice" book for "nice" people and the range of subject matter is too limited.

The book does what it says in the title, 21 Feb 2005
I enjoyed reading this book and will refer to it often in the future. One of my pleasures is to visit cathederals and churches to appreciate the architecture, the history and place in communiy - but I had little detailed knowledge.

This book covers a wide variety of topics, some of which are: the orientation of the church; types of halos (5 are well illustrated using clear line drawings); the masons designs of gargoyles; the roles of Jesus, Mary and the Saints (as a non practicing Christian this was very useful); it even has a descriptive drawings of the vestments of bishops and priests (and how many of you know what a Rochet or an Alb is, and who wears it).

The writing style is informative and economical - no wasted words, but the ideas and knowledge are conveyed well

The copy I got from Amazon is hard cover, but is easy to carry as it is only approx 135 mm by 210 mm with 246 pages. The photos are in black and white.

This book is a bargain - buy it.

A wonderful book, 11 Aug 2004
This book must set the standard for books on Art History.
Catherine Puglisti writes so clearly that the narrative flows like a novel. All the sources are here and she has produced a mix of biography, social and religious history and art criticism which is unique. As the other reviews have said, the quantity and quality of the illustrations is superb.

Gorgeously illustrated, with balanced, insightful narrative, 23 May 2004
Caravaggio's pictures are lavishly illustrated here, but Puglisi gives you more for your money than just paintings. All the key sources (Baglione etc.) are given in full at the back, and her narrative covers both Caravaggio's pictures as well as his life with sensitivity and insight.
Studying Caravaggio, I read a variety of books, but this was the best by a mile. Very, very good value too.
"M" gives you polemic, albeit entertaining polemic.
This gives you sense and the evidence is before your eyes.

A great book, 12 Sep 2003
This book was essential during my History of Art course. It manages to be both informative and entertaining without being overly wordy like many art books. The images throughout were clear and extremely helpful during reading and the fact that they were in colour allows the reader to gain a fuller grasp about what the artist was trying to achieve.

This is a magnificent book that I recomend to everyone - be they art students or just people who are interested in the genius of Caravaggio. This book does what many books try vainly to do - be accessible to beginners and scholars alike. If only there were more authors like this in the art world...

brilliantly clear and concise, 24 May 2000
I must admit, I didn't know much about Caravaggio before I picked up this book or the artistical era for that matter. It does give you a great insight into the artist and his influences, sighting particular paintings of other artists that influenced Caravaggio's final master pieces. I thoroughly enjoyed it and it is definitly a must for the inexperienced aswell as the experienced artist or historian. A delgihtful read ( and excellant prints aswell),

excellent & informative, 23 Oct 2006
This small, compact hardback book is aimed to show the hidden world of the Green Man in the churches of Britain, Ireland & Europe & is neither biased towards Christian or Pagan interpretations of the Green Man. Priced very low for a hardback book, it is jammed with snippets of information & really is an absolute must.

Every other page has a full size colour picture with the explanatory page opposite also being interspersed with small colour pictures. Mike Harding, probably best known to most as a stand-up comic & for his Radio 2 folk music show has spent over 25 years searching for the Green Man both in Britain & elsewhere around the world.

Images shown are discussed within their context & tales of mythology & folklore are recounted as well. The Green Man appears on roof bosses, on pillars, on bench ends, misericords & in Borneo in church wall paintings. His spread is far yet his image remains essentially the same. The very unusual Green Man depicted as actually wearing jewellery by having a sun wheel around his neck at St Bartholomew's in Much Marcle is also featured in this book.

Whether you have just a vague interest in the Green Man or are a more serious student of his background, this is a book that you will surely want in your collection, you won't regret buying it.

Charming, 03 Sep 2002
For anyone interested in pagan subjects the Green Man is always there.
In this book by Harding you won't find much detail except, in the beautiful photographs taken by the author himself (or loaned by friends) of a great variety of heads from all around the world.
A must have little book.

Great little book, 14 Dec 2000
This is great book, I especially like the way that Mike has taken all the pictures of the Green Man himself, not only is he a great playwright, singer, rambler and historian, but he's a good photographer too.

Wonderful little primer, 15 Mar 1999
A good beginning book on the green man. Very enjoyable reading. It would make a great gift.

A stellar edition, 14 Dec 2007
This extra large format book represents the perfect companion volume to Leonardo Da Vinci also published by Taschen and similarly authored by Frank Zollner. The outstanding quality of both books pays a proper homage to these two titans of Renaissance.

In particular the book on Michelangelo, the subject of the review is a sumptuous edition, with stunning photographs of both whole works and their details and a comprehensive text.

With respect to structure, the first part concerns the life and work of Michelangelo in text and images while the main body of the book presents his complete paintings, sculpture, drawings, and architecrural designs.

This gem of a book will undoubtedly be the definitive volume on Michelangelo for years to come.

The book will grace your coffee table; the only snag is that it has to be substantial in size, otherwise it would be overwhelmed by this gigantic book.

Comments by Michael Calum Jacques author of '1st Century Radical'., 21 Nov 2008
This is both a beautiful and an informative book; these two qualities do not always grace the same volume! Anybody who loves genuinely quaint, remote and simply curious little churches and chapels should savour this book by Richard Surman.

It includes features upon some of Britain and Ireland's most fascinating churches, with each one guarding its own secret(s) which could be anything from artwork, carvings, stories, legends or simply an architectural peculiarity. This book includes hundreds of beautiful photographs of the featured buildings, along with maps showing their location and a useful, illustrated glossary.

The secrets of these churches cover aeons of time and the book features examples like the remote Romney Marsh churches or St Cwyfan's, perched on its rocky islet on the coast of Anglesey. Each one has its own story to reveal, like the seaside church in Whitby whose roof was constructed by local shipwrights. The author presents articles on 250 churches from all over the British Isles.

Additionally, this book is a genuinely pleasant read, leaving the reader with a positive 'feel good' factor, if that makes sense! There are various books about the wonderful churches to be seen and relished in the UK and Eire, and this is one of the better ones.

Michael Calum Jacques

A beautiful book, 26 Feb 2008
A beautiful book with beautiful pictures, but the small size of this book does not allow the pictures to be viewed to their best advantage. I would recommend the hard back version for the pure pleasure of sitting in an armchair and enjoying the pictures and script. If you want a book to put into the glove compartment of the car though; a book with a more comprehensive knowledge of the churches then choose 'The Church Explorers Handbook' by Clive Fewins.
The best choice of course is to buy both of them, I did.

guide book version of best selling book, 12 Oct 2007
This is the new 'guide book' version of How to Read a Church. It is designed to be taken out and about and has a soft cover. It is actually a bit heavier than the 'red cover' hardback version (around 500g) but it is looks and feels like many of the usual travel guides and guidebooks. It has an abridged text but there's plenty to read and there are lots of pictures (many the same as in the 'white cover' larger glossy version but there are some new ones too). I tried not to rate it because I know the author (hence the detailed knowledge of the different versions) - but the site won't let me do that so I've given it five stars because I do really like it! I've posted a picture showing the three versions next to each other for relative size.

Great pictures - less background data, 23 Oct 2007
My view of the book is that the pictures are beautiful and it has a lot of content, but I would have preferred more details on the different subjects. Mostly only the explanation according to the christian belief is described, but since the christian churches' symbols are a mix of its own symbols and those of the previous religions, I feel there is a lot more to be said about the symbols than just this. I bought this book because of my interest in gargoyls and on this subject I think the explanation was a little "light".

Disappointing, 28 Jun 2007
This book is a well known so I made the mistake of buying on line without checking the contents. It's full of arcane items that most churches don't contain, and misses out so many things that can be found in churches everywhere that people ask questions about -- e.g. no mention of aumbries or lights in the index. It is more like a stuffy text book than a reference book. There is a gap in the market for a simpler book that is less comprehensive and therefore more accessible. Thank heavens for the Amazon returns service.

useful reference, 25 Jan 2006
A useful reference book for the vistor to churches who wants to know more.

How to read a church, 15 Oct 2005
The book has been written by a commited Christian, and several beliefs are stated as 'though they are facts- e.g."God guided the Israelites towards the Red Sea in a pillar cloud by day......" I personally do not accept this. Instead of concentrating on symbols, the author has taken the opportunity of paraphrasing,sometimes at length, many stories and other text from the Bible.
Some of the author's text is too egocentric e.g."(St.Lawrence's) jokes are a little rough for today's tastes." Has the author ever read Viz?
This is a "nice" book for "nice" people and the range of subject matter is too limited.

The book does what it says in the title, 21 Feb 2005
I enjoyed reading this book and will refer to it often in the future. One of my pleasures is to visit cathederals and churches to appreciate the architecture, the history and place in communiy - but I had little detailed knowledge.

This book covers a wide variety of topics, some of which are: the orientation of the church; types of halos (5 are well illustrated using clear line drawings); the masons designs of gargoyles; the roles of Jesus, Mary and the Saints (as a non practicing Christian this was very useful); it even has a descriptive drawings of the vestments of bishops and priests (and how many of you know what a Rochet or an Alb is, and who wears it).

The writing style is informative and economical - no wasted words, but the ideas and knowledge are conveyed well

The copy I got from Amazon is hard cover, but is easy to carry as it is only approx 135 mm by 210 mm with 246 pages. The photos are in black and white.

This book is a bargain - buy it.

A wonderful book, 11 Aug 2004
This book must set the standard for books on Art History.
Catherine Puglisti writes so clearly that the narrative flows like a novel. All the sources are here and she has produced a mix of biography, social and religious history and art criticism which is unique. As the other reviews have said, the quantity and quality of the illustrations is superb.

Gorgeously illustrated, with balanced, insightful narrative, 23 May 2004
Caravaggio's pictures are lavishly illustrated here, but Puglisi gives you more for your money than just paintings. All the key sources (Baglione etc.) are given in full at the back, and her narrative covers both Caravaggio's pictures as well as his life with sensitivity and insight.
Studying Caravaggio, I read a variety of books, but this was the best by a mile. Very, very good value too.
"M" gives you polemic, albeit entertaining polemic.
This gives you sense and the evidence is before your eyes.

A great book, 12 Sep 2003
This book was essential during my History of Art course. It manages to be both informative and entertaining without being overly wordy like many art books. The images throughout were clear and extremely helpful during reading and the fact that they were in colour allows the reader to gain a fuller grasp about what the artist was trying to achieve.

This is a magnificent book that I recomend to everyone - be they art students or just people who are interested in the genius of Caravaggio. This book does what many books try vainly to do - be accessible to beginners and scholars alike. If only there were more authors like this in the art world...

brilliantly clear and concise, 24 May 2000
I must admit, I didn't know much about Caravaggio before I picked up this book or the artistical era for that matter. It does give you a great insight into the artist and his influences, sighting particular paintings of other artists that influenced Caravaggio's final master pieces. I thoroughly enjoyed it and it is definitly a must for the inexperienced aswell as the experienced artist or historian. A delgihtful read ( and excellant prints aswell),

excellent & informative, 23 Oct 2006
This small, compact hardback book is aimed to show the hidden world of the Green Man in the churches of Britain, Ireland & Europe & is neither biased towards Christian or Pagan interpretations of the Green Man. Priced very low for a hardback book, it is jammed with snippets of information & really is an absolute must.

Every other page has a full size colour picture with the explanatory page opposite also being interspersed with small colour pictures. Mike Harding, probably best known to most as a stand-up comic & for his Radio 2 folk music show has spent over 25 years searching for the Green Man both in Britain & elsewhere around the world.

Images shown are discussed within their context & tales of mythology & folklore are recounted as well. The Green Man appears on roof bosses, on pillars, on bench ends, misericords & in Borneo in church wall paintings. His spread is far yet his image remains essentially the same. The very unusual Green Man depicted as actually wearing jewellery by having a sun wheel around his neck at St Bartholomew's in Much Marcle is also featured in this book.

Whether you have just a vague interest in the Green Man or are a more serious student of his background, this is a book that you will surely want in your collection, you won't regret buying it.

Charming, 03 Sep 2002
For anyone interested in pagan subjects the Green Man is always there.
In this book by Harding you won't find much detail except, in the beautiful photographs taken by the author himself (or loaned by friends) of a great variety of heads from all around the world.
A must have little book.

Great little book, 14 Dec 2000
This is great book, I especially like the way that Mike has taken all the pictures of the Green Man himself, not only is he a great playwright, singer, rambler and historian, but he's a good photographer too.

Wonderful little primer, 15 Mar 1999
A good beginning book on the green man. Very enjoyable reading. It would make a great gift.

A stellar edition, 14 Dec 2007
This extra large format book represents the perfect companion volume to Leonardo Da Vinci also published by Taschen and similarly authored by Frank Zollner. The outstanding quality of both books pays a proper homage to these two titans of Renaissance.

In particular the book on Michelangelo, the subject of the review is a sumptuous edition, with stunning photographs of both whole works and their details and a comprehensive text.

With respect to structure, the first part concerns the life and work of Michelangelo in text and images while the main body of the book presents his complete paintings, sculpture, drawings, and architecrural designs.

This gem of a book will undoubtedly be the definitive volume on Michelangelo for years to come.

The book will grace your coffee table; the only snag is that it has to be substantial in size, otherwise it would be overwhelmed by this gigantic book.

Highly recommended, 27 Feb 2006
Nouwen writes beautifully and his enthusiam for four of the most spiritually significant icons, such as the Rublev Trinity, certainly drew me in and captivated me. Indeed, this was a book that helped me a great deal in my spirtual life. The format of having four pull-out pictures of the icons, two at each end of the book corresponding to each of the four icons, were helpful because one could, if one wished, meditate on the pictures while reading the text. I found this was an excellent introduction to icons and one that I have returned to over the years for some marvellous quotations in the text, speaking as they do about the graciousness of God towards us. There is a ring-binder style of layout to this book which makes it easier to use for meditation.

Comments by Michael Calum Jacques author of '1st Century Radical'., 21 Nov 2008
This is both a beautiful and an informative book; these two qualities do not always grace the same volume! Anybody who loves genuinely quaint, remote and simply curious little churches and chapels should savour this book by Richard Surman.

It includes features upon some of Britain and Ireland's most fascinating churches, with each one guarding its own secret(s) which could be anything from artwork, carvings, stories, legends or simply an architectural peculiarity. This book includes hundreds of beautiful photographs of the featured buildings, along with maps showing their location and a useful, illustrated glossary.

The secrets of these churches cover aeons of time and the book features examples like the remote Romney Marsh churches or St Cwyfan's, perched on its rocky islet on the coast of Anglesey. Each one has its own story to reveal, like the seaside church in Whitby whose roof was constructed by local shipwrights. The author presents articles on 250 churches from all over the British Isles.

Additionally, this book is a genuinely pleasant read, leaving the reader with a positive 'feel good' factor, if that makes sense! There are various books about the wonderful churches to be seen and relished in the UK and Eire, and this is one of the better ones.

Michael Calum Jacques

A beautiful book, 26 Feb 2008
A beautiful book with beautiful pictures, but the small size of this book does not allow the pictures to be viewed to their best advantage. I would recommend the hard back version for the pure pleasure of sitting in an armchair and enjoying the pictures and script. If you want a book to put into the glove compartment of the car though; a book with a more comprehensive knowledge of the churches then choose 'The Church Explorers Handbook' by Clive Fewins.
The best choice of course is to buy both of them, I did.

guide book version of best selling book, 12 Oct 2007
This is the new 'guide book' version of How to Read a Church. It is designed to be taken out and about and has a soft cover. It is actually a bit heavier than the 'red cover' hardback version (around 500g) but it is looks and feels like many of the usual travel guides and guidebooks. It has an abridged text but there's plenty to read and there are lots of pictures (many the same as in the 'white cover' larger glossy version but there are some new ones too). I tried not to rate it because I know the author (hence the detailed knowledge of the different versions) - but the site won't let me do that so I've given it five stars because I do really like it! I've posted a picture showing the three versions next to each other for relative size.

Great pictures - less background data, 23 Oct 2007
My view of the book is that the pictures are beautiful and it has a lot of content, but I would have preferred more details on the different subjects. Mostly only the explanation according to the christian belief is described, but since the christian churches' symbols are a mix of its own symbols and those of the previous religions, I feel there is a lot more to be said about the symbols than just this. I bought this book because of my interest in gargoyls and on this subject I think the explanation was a little "light".

Disappointing, 28 Jun 2007
This book is a well known so I made the mistake of buying on line without checking the contents. It's full of arcane items that most churches don't contain, and misses out so many things that can be found in churches everywhere that people ask questions about -- e.g. no mention of aumbries or lights in the index. It is more like a stuffy text book than a reference book. There is a gap in the market for a simpler book that is less comprehensive and therefore more accessible. Thank heavens for the Amazon returns service.

useful reference, 25 Jan 2006
A useful reference book for the vistor to churches who wants to know more.

How to read a church, 15 Oct 2005
The book has been written by a commited Christian, and several beliefs are stated as 'though they are facts- e.g."God guided the Israelites towards the Red Sea in a pillar cloud by day......" I personally do not accept this. Instead of concentrating on symbols, the author has taken the opportunity of paraphrasing,sometimes at length, many stories and other text from the Bible.
Some of the author's text is too egocentric e.g."(St.Lawrence's) jokes are a little rough for today's tastes." Has the author ever read Viz?
This is a "nice" book for "nice" people and the range of subject matter is too limited.

The book does what it says in the title, 21 Feb 2005
I enjoyed reading this book and will refer to it often in the future. One of my pleasures is to visit cathederals and churches to appreciate the architecture, the history and place in communiy - but I had little detailed knowledge.

This book covers a wide variety of topics, some of which are: the orientation of the church; types of halos (5 are well illustrated using clear line drawings); the masons designs of gargoyles; the roles of Jesus, Mary and the Saints (as a non practicing Christian this was very useful); it even has a descriptive drawings of the vestments of bishops and priests (and how many of you know what a Rochet or an Alb is, and who wears it).

The writing style is informative and economical - no wasted words, but the ideas and knowledge are conveyed well

The copy I got from Amazon is hard cover, but is easy to carry as it is only approx 135 mm by 210 mm with 246 pages. The photos are in black and white.

This book is a bargain - buy it.

A wonderful book, 11 Aug 2004
This book must set the standard for books on Art History.
Catherine Puglisti writes so clearly that the narrative flows like a novel. All the sources are here and she has produced a mix of biography, social and religious history and art criticism which is unique. As the other reviews have said, the quantity and quality of the illustrations is superb.

Gorgeously illustrated, with balanced, insightful narrative, 23 May 2004
Caravaggio's pictures are lavishly illustrated here, but Puglisi gives you more for your money than just paintings. All the key sources (Baglione etc.) are given in full at the back, and her narrative covers both Caravaggio's pictures as well as his life with sensitivity and insight.
Studying Caravaggio, I read a variety of books, but this was the best by a mile. Very, very good value too.
"M" gives you polemic, albeit entertaining polemic.
This gives you sense and the evidence is before your eyes.

A great book, 12 Sep 2003
This book was essential during my History of Art course. It manages to be both informative and entertaining without being overly wordy like many art books. The images throughout were clear and extremely helpful during reading and the fact that they were in colour allows the reader to gain a fuller grasp about what the artist was trying to achieve.

This is a magnificent book that I recomend to everyone - be they art students or just people who are interested in the genius of Caravaggio. This book does what many books try vainly to do - be accessible to beginners and scholars alike. If only there were more authors like this in the art world...

brilliantly clear and concise, 24 May 2000
I must admit, I didn't know much about Caravaggio before I picked up this book or the artistical era for that matter. It does give you a great insight into the artist and his influences, sighting particular paintings of other artists that influenced Caravaggio's final master pieces. I thoroughly enjoyed it and it is definitly a must for the inexperienced aswell as the experienced artist or historian. A delgihtful read ( and excellant prints aswell),

excellent & informative, 23 Oct 2006
This small, compact hardback book is aimed to show the hidden world of the Green Man in the churches of Britain, Ireland & Europe & is neither biased towards Christian or Pagan interpretations of the Green Man. Priced very low for a hardback book, it is jammed with snippets of information & really is an absolute must.

Every other page has a full size colour picture with the explanatory page opposite also being interspersed with small colour pictures. Mike Harding, probably best known to most as a stand-up comic & for his Radio 2 folk music show has spent over 25 years searching for the Green Man both in Britain & elsewhere around the world.

Images shown are discussed within their context & tales of mythology & folklore are recounted as well. The Green Man appears on roof bosses, on pillars, on bench ends, misericords & in Borneo in church wall paintings. His spread is far yet his image remains essentially the same. The very unusual Green Man depicted as actually wearing jewellery by having a sun wheel around his neck at St Bartholomew's in Much Marcle is also featured in this book.

Whether you have just a vague interest in the Green Man or are a more serious student of his background, this is a book that you will surely want in your collection, you won't regret buying it.

Charming, 03 Sep 2002
For anyone interested in pagan subjects the Green Man is always there.
In this book by Harding you won't find much detail except, in the beautiful photographs taken by the author himself (or loaned by friends) of a great variety of heads from all around the world.
A must have little book.

Great little book, 14 Dec 2000
This is great book, I especially like the way that Mike has taken all the pictures of the Green Man himself, not only is he a great playwright, singer, rambler and historian, but he's a good photographer too.

Wonderful little primer, 15 Mar 1999
A good beginning book on the green man. Very enjoyable reading. It would make a great gift.

A stellar edition, 14 Dec 2007
This extra large format book represents the perfect companion volume to Leonardo Da Vinci also published by Taschen and similarly authored by Frank Zollner. The outstanding quality of both books pays a proper homage to these two titans of Renaissance.

In particular the book on Michelangelo, the subject of the review is a sumptuous edition, with stunning photographs of both whole works and their details and a comprehensive text.

With respect to structure, the first part concerns the life and work of Michelangelo in text and images while the main body of the book presents his complete paintings, sculpture, drawings, and architecrural designs.

This gem of a book will undoubtedly be the definitive volume on Michelangelo for years to come.

The book will grace your coffee table; the only snag is that it has to be substantial in size, otherwise it would be overwhelmed by this gigantic book.

Highly recommended, 27 Feb 2006
Nouwen writes beautifully and his enthusiam for four of the most spiritually significant icons, such as the Rublev Trinity, certainly drew me in and captivated me. Indeed, this was a book that helped me a great deal in my spirtual life. The format of having four pull-out pictures of the icons, two at each end of the book corresponding to each of the four icons, were helpful because one could, if one wished, meditate on the pictures while reading the text. I found this was an excellent introduction to icons and one that I have returned to over the years for some marvellous quotations in the text, speaking as they do about the graciousness of God towards us. There is a ring-binder style of layout to this book which makes it easier to use for meditation.

Essential reading, 15 Apr 2005
This book provides an excellent overview of prehistoric monuments and introduces certain key concepts which have changed the way we interpret them. It's not an 'easy' read though - very suitable for students studying archaeology at University.

Scholarly and Exciting., 08 Jun 2002
I enjoyed this book very much and had difficulty putting it down.
Links were made between houses to live in and monuments, which threw light on the possible meaning and function of monuments. Evidence was drawn from archeological studies in the UK and Northern Europe spanning the period from the megalithic to the late neolithic.I would describe it as a scholarly book with a strong empirical approach. At the same time the implications drawn from the evidence are exciting so that it felt a bit like reading a detective story.
It is well written so that as a non archeologist I was able to follow it without difficutlty. At the same time it is an academic book with a lot to offer the established archeologist.

Comments by Michael Calum Jacques author of '1st Century Radical'., 21 Nov 2008
This is both a beautiful and an informative book; these two qualities do not always grace the same volume! Anybody who loves genuinely quaint, remote and simply curious little churches and chapels should savour this book by Richard Surman.

It includes features upon some of Britain and Ireland's most fascinating churches, with each one guarding its own secret(s) which could be anything from artwork, carvings, stories, legends or simply an architectural peculiarity. This book includes hundreds of beautiful photographs of the featured buildings, along with maps showing their location and a useful, illustrated glossary.

The secrets of these churches cover aeons of time and the book features examples like the remote Romney Marsh churches or St Cwyfan's, perched on its rocky islet on the coast of Anglesey. Each one has its own story to reveal, like the seaside church in Whitby whose roof was constructed by local shipwrights. The author presents articles on 250 churches from all over the British Isles.

Additionally, this book is a genuinely pleasant read, leaving the reader with a positive 'feel good' factor, if that makes sense! There are various books about the wonderful churches to be seen and relished in the UK and Eire, and this is one of the better ones.

Michael Calum Jacques

A beautiful book, 26 Feb 2008
A beautiful book with beautiful pictures, but the small size of this book does not allow the pictures to be viewed to their best advantage. I would recommend the hard back version for the pure pleasure of sitting in an armchair and enjoying the pictures and script. If you want a book to put into the glove compartment of the car though; a book with a more comprehensive knowledge of the churches then choose 'The Church Explorers Handbook' by Clive Fewins.
The best choice of course is to buy both of them, I did.

guide book version of best selling book, 12 Oct 2007
This is the new 'guide book' version of How to Read a Church. It is designed to be taken out and about and has a soft cover. It is actually a bit heavier than the 'red cover' hardback version (around 500g) but it is looks and feels like many of the usual travel guides and guidebooks. It has an abridged text but there's plenty to read and there are lots of pictures (many the same as in the 'white cover' larger glossy version but there are some new ones too). I tried not to rate it because I know the author (hence the detailed knowledge of the different versions) - but the site won't let me do that so I've given it five stars because I do really like it! I've posted a picture showing the three versions next to each other for relative size.

Great pictures - less background data, 23 Oct 2007
My view of the book is that the pictures are beautiful and it has a lot of content, but I would have preferred more details on the different subjects. Mostly only the explanation according to the christian belief is described, but since the christian churches' symbols are a mix of its own symbols and those of the previous religions, I feel there is a lot more to be said about the symbols than just this. I bought this book because of my interest in gargoyls and on this subject I think the explanation was a little "light".

Disappointing, 28 Jun 2007
This book is a well known so I made the mistake of buying on line without checking the contents. It's full of arcane items that most churches don't contain, and misses out so many things that can be found in churches everywhere that people ask questions about -- e.g. no mention of aumbries or lights in the index. It is more like a stuffy text book than a reference book. There is a gap in the market for a simpler book that is less comprehensive and therefore more accessible. Thank heavens for the Amazon returns service.

useful reference, 25 Jan 2006
A useful reference book for the vistor to churches who wants to know more.

How to read a church, 15 Oct 2005
The book has been written by a commited Christian, and several beliefs are stated as 'though they are facts- e.g."God guided the Israelites towards the Red Sea in a pillar cloud by day......" I personally do not accept this. Instead of concentrating on symbols, the author has taken the opportunity of paraphrasing,sometimes at length, many stories and other text from the Bible.
Some of the author's text is too egocentric e.g."(St.Lawrence's) jokes are a little rough for today's tastes." Has the author ever read Viz?
This is a "nice" book for "nice" people and the range of subject matter is too limited.

The book does what it says in the title, 21 Feb 2005
I enjoyed reading this book and will refer to it often in the future. One of my pleasures is to visit cathederals and churches to appreciate the architecture, the history and place in communiy - but I had little detailed knowledge.

This book covers a wide variety of topics, some of which are: the orientation of the church; types of halos (5 are well illustrated using clear line drawings); the masons designs of gargoyles; the roles of Jesus, Mary and the Saints (as a non practicing Christian this was very useful); it even has a descriptive drawings of the vestments of bishops and priests (and how many of you know what a Rochet or an Alb is, and who wears it).

The writing style is informative and economical - no wasted words, but the ideas and knowledge are conveyed well

The copy I got from Amazon is hard cover, but is easy to carry as it is only approx 135 mm by 210 mm with 246 pages. The photos are in black and white.

This book is a bargain - buy it.

A wonderful book, 11 Aug 2004
This book must set the standard for books on Art History.
Catherine Puglisti writes so clearly that the narrative flows like a novel. All the sources are here and she has produced a mix of biography, social and religious history and art criticism which is unique. As the other reviews have said, the quantity and quality of the illustrations is superb.

Gorgeously illustrated, with balanced, insightful narrative, 23 May 2004
Caravaggio's pictures are lavishly illustrated here, but Puglisi gives you more for your money than just paintings. All the key sources (Baglione etc.) are given in full at the back, and her narrative covers both Caravaggio's pictures as well as his life with sensitivity and insight.
Studying Caravaggio, I read a variety of books, but this was the best by a mile. Very, very good value too.
"M" gives you polemic, albeit entertaining polemic.
This gives you sense and the evidence is before your eyes.

A great book, 12 Sep 2003
This book was essential during my History of Art course. It manages to be both informative and entertaining without being overly wordy like many art books. The images throughout were clear and extremely helpful during reading and the fact that they were in colour allows the reader to gain a fuller grasp about what the artist was trying to achieve.

This is a magnificent book that I recomend to everyone - be they art students or just people who are interested in the genius of Caravaggio. This book does what many books try vainly to do - be accessible to beginners and scholars alike. If only there were more authors like this in the art world...

brilliantly clear and concise, 24 May 2000
I must admit, I didn't know much about Caravaggio before I picked up this book or the artistical era for that matter. It does give you a great insight into the artist and his influences, sighting particular paintings of other artists that influenced Caravaggio's final master pieces. I thoroughly enjoyed it and it is definitly a must for the inexperienced aswell as the experienced artist or historian. A delgihtful read ( and excellant prints aswell),

excellent & informative, 23 Oct 2006
This small, compact hardback book is aimed to show the hidden world of the Green Man in the churches of Britain, Ireland & Europe & is neither biased towards Christian or Pagan interpretations of the Green Man. Priced very low for a hardback book, it is jammed with snippets of information & really is an absolute must.

Every other page has a full size colour picture with the explanatory page opposite also being interspersed with small colour pictures. Mike Harding, probably best known to most as a stand-up comic & for his Radio 2 folk music show has spent over 25 years searching for the Green Man both in Britain & elsewhere around the world.

Images shown are discussed within their context & tales of mythology & folklore are recounted as well. The Green Man appears on roof bosses, on pillars, on bench ends, misericords & in Borneo in church wall paintings. His spread is far yet his image remains essentially the same. The very unusual Green Man depicted as actually wearing jewellery by having a sun wheel around his neck at St Bartholomew's in Much Marcle is also featured in this book.

Whether you have just a vague interest in the Green Man or are a more serious student of his background, this is a book that you will surely want in your collection, you won't regret buying it.

Charming, 03 Sep 2002
For anyone interested in pagan subjects the Green Man is always there.
In this book by Harding you won't find much detail except, in the beautiful photographs taken by the author himself (or loaned by friends) of a great variety of heads from all around the world.
A must have little book.

Great little book, 14 Dec 2000
This is great book, I especially like the way that Mike has taken all the pictures of the Green Man himself, not only is he a great playwright, singer, rambler and historian, but he's a good photographer too.

Wonderful little primer, 15 Mar 1999
A good beginning book on the green man. Very enjoyable reading. It would make a great gift.

A stellar edition, 14 Dec 2007
This extra large format book represents the perfect companion volume to Leonardo Da Vinci also published by Taschen and similarly authored by Frank Zollner. The outstanding quality of both books pays a proper homage to these two titans of Renaissance.

In particular the book on Michelangelo, the subject of the review is a sumptuous edition, with stunning photographs of both whole works and their details and a comprehensive text.

With respect to structure, the first part concerns the life and work of Michelangelo in text and images while the main body of the book presents his complete paintings, sculpture, drawings, and architecrural designs.

This gem of a book will undoubtedly be the definitive volume on Michelangelo for years to come.

The book will grace your coffee table; the only snag is that it has to be substantial in size, otherwise it would be overwhelmed by this gigantic book.

Highly recommended, 27 Feb 2006
Nouwen writes beautifully and his enthusiam for four of the most spiritually significant icons, such as the Rublev Trinity, certainly drew me in and captivated me. Indeed, this was a book that helped me a great deal in my spirtual life. The format of having four pull-out pictures of the icons, two at each end of the book corresponding to each of the four icons, were helpful because one could, if one wished, meditate on the pictures while reading the text. I found this was an excellent introduction to icons and one that I have returned to over the years for some marvellous quotations in the text, speaking as they do about the graciousness of God towards us. There is a ring-binder style of layout to this book which makes it easier to use for meditation.

Essential reading, 15 Apr 2005
This book provides an excellent overview of prehistoric monuments and introduces certain key concepts which have changed the way we interpret them. It's not an 'easy' read though - very suitable for students studying archaeology at Uni