Westminster Abbey (Wonders of the World)

by Richard Jenkyns

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Book cover for Westminster Abbey

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Read the Bldg Blog interview with Mary Beard about the Wonders of the World series(Part I and Part II)

Westminster Abbey is the most complex church in existence. National cathedral, coronation church, royal mausoleum, burial place of poets, resting place of the great and of the Unknown Warrior, former home of parliament, backdrop to the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales--this rich and extraordinary building unites many functions.

Westminster Abbey is both an appreciation of an architectural masterpiece and an exploration of the building's shifting meanings. We hear the voices of those who have described its forms, moods, and ceremonies, from Shakespeare and Voltaire to Dickens and Henry James; we see how rulers have made use of it, from medieval kings to modern prime ministers. In a highly original book, classicist and cultural historian Richard Jenkyns teaches us to look at this microcosm of history with new eyes.

  • ISBN10 0674061977
  • ISBN13 9780674061972
  • Publish Date 15 October 2011 (first published 1 March 2005)
  • Publish Status Active
  • Publish Country US
  • Imprint Harvard University Press
  • Format Paperback
  • Pages 224
  • Language English