"Notre-Dame in Paris, the cathedrals of Chartres, Reims and Amiens, Strasbourg Minster, Cologne Cathedral, Westminster Abbey and Canterbury - these are the magnificent sacred buildings that for us epitomise Gothic architecture. The colossal dimensions of these cathedrals required not only enormous financial outlay, but also great organisational and technical skills. How, for example, were such long-term projects planned, lasting in some cases for many generations? How was work organised on the building site? Which forms were used, and how were they developed? What were the representational aims of the patrons of churches and secular buildings? And what symbolic significance lies behind these buildings, which were not only architectural masterpieces but also a vehicle for theological content, as part of the liturgy? We can only begin to understand the 'spirit of the Gothic' through an understanding of the historical, sociological, theological, economic and technological background in this time of change. Given this, we can then start to read Gothic cathedrals like the pages of a book."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved