Christianity Books

I definately recommend this book! It is a well written, inspritational, thought-provoking, feel good book. It was hard to put down and is definately worth reading over again. My thanks to you, Mr. Staat! :)

This book is really easy to read. Blaine Staat does a great job of taking every day events and making them meaningful. This book does a great job of making you feel good, while taking a deeper look at the world around you.

I enjoy picking this up when I have a chance. It feels as though the author is having a conversation with you. It is wonderful to see a man living out his life for God.

Blaine Staat is a "regular guy" and talented writer who muses on faith, family, politics ... life. These vignette style chapters are self-contained, making it easy to read one when you have the chance. You may or may not agree with all of his thoughts ~ but they are entertaining to read, and more importantly, they will make you consider these significant ideas and issues for yourself. I'll be passing it along to my husband!

Finding Liberty I found to be an excellent read. Blaine Staat is both transparent and honest as he starts out telling us of how he and his wife left the rat race behind, and the money that goes along with it, to find a simpler and a more satisfying way of life. It is like taking a step back in time. I love how he and his wife are not so consumer driven, but put relationships with their family and their relationship with God at the forefront. They also are part of their community, which is something we do not see much of anymore. Not only was the book entertaining, but also challenging to me in my life. I would recommend this book for your personal library and even as a gift for a friend.

This book is inspiration to all who has the priviledge of reading it. You will realize that you, too, have the power to get through any struggle, if you believe! A must read for who more out of life!!

Henry Skaggs draws the reader into a world of fasting and prayer that few Westerners ever experience! The insights he gains and the spiritual power that he receives to complete the fast are nothing shy of miraculous. A poetic and transcendental work of the highest caliber!

This is a MUST read!! If you have ever wondered what it would be like to have a relationship with GOD, then read this book! Henry truly expessed how wonderful a relationship with the Lord can be if you step out on faith and BELIEVE. Thanks so much Henry for your obedience to be a vessel for GOD and ultimately change the lives of others..for the better.

If anyone has ever longed to be in the presence of God -- literally-- and to have his power in you, this man, Henry Skaggs is someone to study. He writes about it in this book. His life and his family's life exemplifies God's grace and power, and this book gives a glimse into why he has this. The book is packed with spiritual truths and Biblical references. I have a much greater understanding of God's tremendous love for me and his desire and ability to do great things in me and through me. I thank God for this book.

This is a MUST read!! If you have ever wondered what it would be like to have a relationship with GOD, then read this book! Henry truly expessed how wonderful a relationship with the Lord can be if you step out on faith and BELIEVE. Thanks so much Henry for your obedience to be a vessel for GOD and ultimately change the lives of others..for the better.

James Montgomery Boice's theology is one every pastor should have. He was a true warrior for the truth. Thank God for his legacy and faithfullness. This volume is helpful because it is pastoral and not as technical as other systematic theologies. You need both for helpful instruction.

I recommend this work by Boice without hesitation. He takes extremely difficult theological topics and makes them understandable and practical. It is a theological work that comes more from the heart of a pastor than from the brain of a theologian. Excellent and helpful for all students of theology.

Foundations of the Christian Faith (FCF) is a densely packed, yet readily accessible one-volume theology. Boice has a gift for interpreting difficult theological concepts with clarity and poise. I didn't breeze through FCF. I sampled it at a rate of 20 to 30 pages a day and, without fail, found myself reflecting on what I had read for several hours afterward.

FCF is challenging, yet ultimately soothing. Boice cleary dilineates the responsibilities all Christians carry and exhorts us to shoulder the load. Yet, Boice is no heavy-handed taskmaster. His compassion is evident throughout. Indeed, there were places where I silently exhorted Boice to drive a little harder, especially in the area of Christian response to entrenched and dysfunctional secular bureaucracies and the social ills they perpetuate and often create.

Forced to choose, I'd pick the latter third of the book as the better, though this may well be because I have a keen interest in eschatology. But, the latter third also delves into the practical experience of living in the world, not of it - and this speaks effectively to the thorny issues we face today.

As I closed FCF after six weeks of careful inspection, I held the book by its spine for several seconds and smiled. Then, I walked reluctantly to the bookcase and put it away. It was that melancholy moment of acknowledgement when a cherished book has come to an end. I didn't know that James Montgomery Boice had passed until today. And, I'm deeply sorry to hear it is so. If Foundations of the Christian Faith is any indication, he left this world a far better place. I have no doubt he's found a better place still. 5 stars.

If you're looking for a kind, generous, wonderfully readable Calvinist, (the late) Dr. Boice is your man. R.C. Sproul has said that when James Boice died it was like a form of God's judgement on the American nation. That may sound a bit over the top, but the day I heard of Boice's death, I felt a great void.
In my reviews, I don't like to rehash the contents of a book, especially an exceptional book like Foundations. I guess I like readers to savor the experience as the Holy Spirit guides and enlightens.
I will remark about the structure of this book, however, which loosely follows Calvin's Institutes.
It's actually four books packaged as one.
The first book presents God as sovereign Lord, as revealed in Scripture. I like that. A book about theology should begin with God as He is and as He has revealed Himself.
The second book sketches God relative to us fallen, blind human beings. It shows why we need a saviour, and why and how only Jesus fulfills that role.
The third book details how God, through His Spirit, awakens His children to and then immerses them in the work of Christ.
The final book discusses how God works through His Church, that oddball and often inconsistent collection of people he has empowered through faith in Christ to go about doing His will and work until Christ returns.
As you read, you'll get a sense of how you fit in to God's massive scheme of things, assuming of course you have repented of your sin and put your faith in Christ.
I was working on a ranch when I first read this book. My life was a mess. But Foundations, along with Dallas Willard's Divine Conspiracy, helped me see that God is real, that He loves me, and that His love could and ultimately would transform me.
I can't say my walk with Christ has been smooth. But thanks to godly servants like James Boice, and of course the Lord Himself and His utterly amazing, utterly underserved grace, it has grown rich with age and experience.
May you be so blessed.
God bless.

The article explained by Mr Boice is very informative, and indept to confirm the serious Bible study individual in Foundations of the Christian Faith.

I can only look at the events of September 11, 2001 in a spiritual sense. After those terrible acts, I went to church to seek solace, pray for the victims and their families and also pray for the perpetrators. All humans are members of God's family despite the atrocities we commit against each other and we all will face God on Judgement Day. Therefore, I don't believe that the terrorists won: their hatred was and is totaly alien to God's nature and wishes for God's children and I believe they will suffer eternally. And, as Reverend Jakes wrote in his sermon, Jesus took many to be with him at the end of their lives. Christ is the Christian's hope and light in the terrible darkness we are walking through today. His love is a salve to me as it is to many others. The author's in this book accurately pointed out the many mistakes American politicians have made in foreign policy and have supported evil when it was to in their minds, advantageous to America. This book is well-written and I believe a must-read for those of us who are seeking answers.

So many people are turning to faith since September 11, looking for reassurance, trying to find answers to hard questions. This remarkable book skips the banal platitudes; instead, it gave me real, solid guidance to begin to face those hard questions and try to make sense of it all. The variety and depth of this astounding collection of essays is breathtaking. I was astonished by how many different faiths are represented. Especially moving, to me, was a New York parish priest's account of ministering to victims. We also get to eavesdrop on the Beliefnet community as they helped each other cope in the days following the attacks; the personal interactions are riveting. Only Beliefnet could have created this book. This is a gift that truly will help us all rise "from the ashes."

I stumbled across beliefnet.com a few days after September 11 and found it to be full of much of the best and most insightful writing to be found anywhere. This book, which compiles many of the articles Beliefnet has published on the tragedy, demonstrates that the spiritual issues raised in the articles Ñ justice, evil, retaliation, even the very existence of God Ñ are not just timely. They are issues we are going to have to deal with over and over again. And this book is loaded with wisdom for anyone who is attempting to deal honestly with those issues.

The authors range from traditionalist Christians to Bishop John Shelby Spong, who argues that after September 11, we have to picture God in a different way than we ever have before. The ideas range from strong supporters of military response to the Dalai Lama and Bishop Tutu who counsel forgiveness. One of the most interesting pieces, for me, was Karen Armstrong's essay on Islam, comparing its attitude toward violence to that of Judaism and Christianity. There has been so much nonsense published on that subject over the past month. It was wonderful to read the insights of someone who understands and respects all three faiths.

The best thing about this book is that despite the range of opinions (which guarantees that every reader is going to find many ideas they disagree with), I did not find a single essay to be without merit. Even the ones I disagreed with all said things I felt I had to think about. There is no political or spiritual posturing here, but, in every case, an open and honest discussion of issues.

This is a beautifully written and important book for anyone who cares about spiritual issues.

I can only look at the events of September 11, 2001 in a spiritual sense. After those terrible acts, I went to church to seek solace, pray for the victims and their families and also pray for the perpetrators. All humans are members of God's family despite the atrocities we commit against each other and we all will face God on Judgement Day. Therefore, I don't believe that the terrorists won: their hatred was and is totaly alien to God's nature and wishes for God's children and I believe they will suffer eternally. And, as Reverend Jakes wrote in his sermon, Jesus took many to be with him at the end of their lives. Christ is the Christian's hope and light in the terrible darkness we are walking through today. His love is a salve to me as it is to many others. The author's in this book accurately pointed out the many mistakes American politicians have made in foreign policy and have supported evil when it was to in their minds, advantageous to America. This book is well-written and I believe a must-read for those of us who are seeking answers.

Picked this book up at an airport just before
my flight and was unable to put it down during
the entire flight! It is filled with healing
words, inspirational thoughts, and wisdom from
some of the greatest spiritual leaders of our
times, at a time when so many are desperately
seeking answers to questions regarding this
horrific tragedy against mankind. I strongly
recommend this book --- a must read for all of
us who care deeply about what happened to our
nation on September 11.

Ahlquist's introductory text to Chesterton was a delightful, witty, and quick read which set me afire once again to read an author whom the contemporary world has lamentably forgotten - and not accidentally. I have before fallen in love with Chesterton and hope to continue to fall in love with this humble intellectual giant, the apostle of the people, of "common sense" as Ahlquist says. This text functions very well to whet anyone's appetite for Chesterton.

One of the marks of a great mind is a unity in thought, particularly over time - even when time realizes various conversions, like the life of Chesterton. In Ahlquist's bird's-eye view of Chesterton's major works, the general theme of Chesterton's levity and love for the obvious, simple paradoxes of life shines forth as a glorious beacon to the majestic thoughts of this man. The text on the whole is a delightful, yet not too serious, admixture of the author's musing with quotes of varied length from Chesterton. It is a joy to leap from subject to subject in this short overview, for that was the way that the physically massive writer would write, like the most free of angels, floating humbly above the fray of grave intellectuals. I highly recommend this text to all, from the complete Chesterton novice, to the junior who perhaps needs a re-expansion of his Chestertonian horizons, to the scholar of Chesterton who too can only benefit from stepping back to look at the great masterpiece that is collected works and mind of Chesterton.

No one will accuse Dale Ahlquist of being detached and objective about Chesterton's work. I don't think there is a serious word of critique in this whole volume, so if you are looking for a broad view of Chesterton, with perhaps even some suggestions that he might be lacking in some regard, then this book is not where you will find it. What Ahlquist does very well is bring the essential arguments that Chesterton makes across the spectrum of his writings together in a concise, accessible and enjoyable book.

This is a book you can pick up and peruse, read a chapter, put it down, pick it up a month later and begin again. The title says it all. Chesterton is presented as the Apostle of Common Sense so the things that you read sound like common sense whenever you read them. You don't have to remember a sustained argument that has gone before.

As a convinced Calvinist I flinch when Chesterton (and Ahlquist) oversimplify significant positions on free will, God's sovereignty and ultimately the quality of life associated with those who hold to different views on it. I don't get upset though because the principles that Chesterton is ultimately arguing for are actually inherent within Calvinism also. What he really says are basic principles of Christianity, not Catholicism, though Chesterton and Ahlquist equate them.

Chesterton's work is worth reading for his arguments on the family and distributive social economy alone. These are words our society needs to hear and we really ought to pay attention.

So, read the book - enjoy the wit and the superb command of the language that truly great intellect can muster - and learn.

This is a terrific introduction to a giant of the 20th century literary world. If you have any doubt as to the pertinence of Chesterton in the modern world, take a few moments to browse through this book. G.K. Chesterton's writings are still vital and alive today, and this book introduces you to the author's works. Well worth the investment of time to read this intro to Chesterton, and then delve into the books of Chesterton with great gusto. Enjoy!

This introduction of GK Chesterton should be a required reading for every High School Senior before graduation into a College Curriculum or as part of a required beginning College Liberal Arts Curriculum. My vote is par excellence for this soft cover issue*****!
It is truly "An Amazing Prophesy of Pertinent Issues of Our Modern World Today". It is a very easy to read beginning collected synopses ofG. K. Chesterton: The Apostle of Common Sense of GK Chesterton by Mr. Dale Ahlquist.

This book makes for a good introduction to the world of Chesterton. However any person who is even partially familiar with his works will garner little information from this book.

While Dale Alquist is a great scholar, I find his commentary to be one sided at best. I believe (a phrase never used by Mister Alquist) that Chesterton can stand on his own, without commentary.

I loved this book so much I'm buying one for my church library and some for friends. I witnessed my own glimpses of heaven through my grandparents and if those won't make you believe in God, nothing will. If you have suffered the loss of a loved one, this book will provide great comfort for you.

Glimpses of Heaven was incredibly comforting. I lost my mother 2 years ago and this book seemed to help put it all into perspective for me. The stories were heartwarming instead of sad or devastating. The writing was excellent, you almost felt like you were right there with the characters. Excellent book if you are struggling with understanding death in the elderly and how you can help them to make that transition when the time comes.

This book was very heartwarming. The people that work in Hopice are angels. This book really helped me understand what a family member is going thru. Death is not an end just, another beinning.

As a former hospice nurse, and now pastor, this book was an affirmation of all of the experiences I have also been blessed with in both vocations. Trudy Harris HAS written a book full of vignettes that provide hope and peace for the natural process of death...and a wonderful glimpse of the Life yet to be!

This is a must read. I couldn't put it down. The stories are very moving and really touches your heart. It really gets you to thinking of how things will be for us. I have hope through this book. Look forward for a Vol II.


God Bless,
Linda

This account of the life of a dearly loved first child called Elie, and of the profoundly difficult choices her parents confront so early in her life, is nothing short of luminous. It is one thing to suffer the pain of your child's illness; it is entirely another to put pen to paper and to share this extraordinary story with the world. In doing so, Kent Gilges inspires us to find joy, hope and resilience as we witness his family's struggle. A Grace Given spans a young couple's courtship, the joy of their first child, the tragedy of her declining health, the sense of powerlessness in dealing with an unknown medical landscape, the unwavering love a family shows a little girl living every day against the odds, and the inevitability of her loss. It also sheds light on how individuals cope with tragedy differently, yet still comprise a strong web of support as family, friends, and community. It takes real bravery to open up your family's life in a published book, and the author certainly exposes his heart to us. Beyond that, in grappling with his own deeply philosophical questions about the meaning of life, he prods us gently to do the same. As a "lapsed Catholic" (certainly in terms of organized religion) myself, I approached what seemed like religious inquiry skeptically; I admit I didn't fully appreciate the import of the author's meeting with the Pope. But what I did fully appreciate was the context of Kent's inquiry as a human being and as a father, which inquiry was to my mind perhaps more philosophical than religious: inspired by his daughter and the questions her life and her illness raise for all of us. This book forces us to confront questions about the role of spirituality in our own lives. It helps us to see the valuable role faith can play in others' lives. And it does so with intelligence, warmth, and wit.

Recently I received A Grace Given for review written by Kent Gilges. This book was both a joy to read and hard to read. In it Kent Gilges who is the father of Elizabeth a child born with a brain tumor is told. This is truly a story of faith and profound grace. Often it reminded me of what C.S. Lewis had told to Sheldon Vanauken that the had received a severe mercy.

The book is written quite wonderfully and it is evident that the author is a talented writer able to relate a tragic story that becomes not so tragic through grace. The author came from a pretty much non-religious background and could be best described as a lapsed-agnostic. There was not a denial of God, but neither much acceptance of God in his life. His wife is Catholic and you can see his own journey in faith and his questioning throughout the book. While his trajectory towards the Catholic Church is evident in the book, it does not appear evident that he has yet joined the Church.

It is such a testament to grace that this couple in the struggle of acceptance of the reality of their daughter illness and the subsequent time caring for her that they never went through a period of doubting and blaming God. There is such beauty and acceptance in them and so much love for their daughter that this book is best read with a box of tissues nearby. You come to know and love their daughter yourself through her fathers' eyes. Their praying for a miracle and going to Lourdes and receiving a private audience with Pope John Paul II are part of the story, but it is the miracles of grace that are most evident in this book.

The book is written as both a sequential retelling of the events as they occurred and with various stories and reflections throughout. This book deserves a wide audience as a testament to Elie and her parents love for her along with the effects of grace in their lives.

The life of Elie can heal your faith and transform your life. Read this book and make peace with the world around you. A great theologian and leader of the Catholic Church has once told me that in all our discussions about suffering we must not forget that there are people out there who live the answer. Elie has lived the answer.

My copy of A Grace Given was received on a Monday. I put it aside until a later date when I would have time to look at it. Well, that time came the followng Thursday as I was relaxing after lunch at home. I work a lot at home. I picked up the book and read a few pages and the next thing I knew it was nighttime and I had finished the book. And, I felt all aglow! It was an intriguing journey and one which will stay with me forever. One thing is clear, Kent Gilges knows how to write! He knows how to put his feelings, beliefs, worries, knowledge,compassion, and most of all love on the written page.Perhaps its because I know his wife's family that I took this so personally, but I don't think so. Anyone who has ever known someone who has had illness in their family will appreciate this journey. And who has not? I'm thinking of buying perhaps a half dozen or more so that I might give it as gifts to the young people in my family for birthday, graduation, Confirmation, or any excuse I can dream up -- it is that powerful. Kent not only received a tremendous Grace from God but the fact is he "received" it, he took it and he used it and he loved it as we all should with the graces given to us by God. A high school friend of mine has been bed ridden for thirty years with MS and she had seven children. They took that grace and they loved her and cherished her and took care of her as no other ever would. They would fight over who would take care of her! She spoke not a word for the last ten years of her life and was on life support and feeding tubes for the last two. That family, as Kent's and Liz' has, received this wonderful gift of grace, named Elie, and loved her and let her lead them to a closer relationship with God. This book will enlighten your life as no other ever has. Enjoy it and your future life!

Kent Gilges writes beautifully. Following his spiritual journey during the ten years that his daughter, Elie, was physically present, was a very positve experience for me. It has reinforced, validated and broadened my own views on life--arrived at only after 82 years of experience. I am impressed that one as young as Kent has arrived "there" already--and even moved beyond; it must be Elie's blessing.

This book, along with its sister, "Grace Walk" taught me how to trust in the Lord -- completely. I not only learned that the way to heaven is NOT through WORKING ONESELF TO DEATH but through prayer and love and faith. One particlar chapter still sticks vividly in my mind -- Chapter 7. In this chapter I learned that the Lord will not only ask me to do something, but then he'll help me do it, and he'll even see to its completion! That has been such a relief to my worry-wart mind. Grab this book and it's sister to TRULY learn how to serve the Lord, and to enjoy every minute of it!

product as described - shipped promptly - good transaction with seller. the book is fabulous - thanks

Inspirational and very informative. I have read both Grace Walk and Grace Rules and have developed a whole new approach to my church life and my life with Jesus. Highly recommend both books.

The person I got this for keeps raving about how good it is to read something that frees them from their past of living by such strict rules. They have enjoyed the freedom this book gives them and also lets them know more about the love of God.

Once again Steve McVey has broadened our understanding of Grace. In Grace Rules McVey shows us how to not only to live in Grace but how our lives will be different when Grace Rules in all areas of our lives. Like Grace Walk and Grace Amazing, McVey just gives us more indepth understanding of God's Awesome Grace. I highly recommend this book along with Grace Amazing and Grace Walk. McVey has hit the target again in helping us understand God's Grace. Grace Rules is a must read.

Our family homeschools, and we're wandering through the Middle Ages this year. I just finished reading The Grail Code and then stayed up too late to finish wandering around the website ([...]) which is full of fascinating stuff, including links on their Scriptorium page to the texts that are discussed and quoted in the book.

Did you know you can read the old French original of Chretien de Troyes' "Lancelot, or, The Knight of the Cart," if you so choose? (Alas, if only I were able to so choose. The only French I remember from high school is "Ou est la salle de bain?" A vital phrase, oui, but limited. But I digress.)

The Scriptorium page of their website alone is worth a look, even if you skip the book. But, don't skip the book -- I learned volumes about the Grail, its origins and its chroniclers.

The website also whet my appetite for more Grail art and Aquilina and Bailey will even help you out with "How to Pronounce Those Impossible Welsh Names."

I admit that my Grail-Lancelot-Arthur knowledge is fairly limited. I have a passing-to-average acquaintance with Camelot (enough to know that I don't picture Lancelot as Robert Goulet.) I knew about Malory, of course, and we have a few books that I rounded up for the kids this year. I first read T.H. White's "The Once and Future King" when I was in high school, and loved it dearly.

What The Grail Code offered me, though, on top of fascinating lore and legend, was a great historical look at the rise and fall of the story and the world's enduring fascination with it. The authors' quest takes us through the Grail's sacred beginnings, into periods of secular, cultish appeal, traces why and how those changes happened, and finally, routes us back to what the Grail really means:

What (or Who) is our quest really about? What makes us thirst so, and how is that thirst quenched?

When my daughter asked me what I was reading, I gave her a short teaser version, and she said, "Wow ... searching for the cup ... that would make a great story!"

Ahem. Clearly, I've not covered Arthur with her in any depth (and she's never seen the Indiana Jones movie, either.)

I might just hand her "The Grail Code" and let her know that her quest is about to begin.

Having taken a course in Grail legends in college (so many years ago that the professor quite possibly knew Arthur), I was curious to see what the author's take would be on this vast subject. Mr. Aquilina calmly surpassed my expectations.

This book is a concise and lilting journey through the various stages of the growth of the Arthurian legends. I was happy to see the author include aspects of the myriad authors that were left out of the college course I took. Mr. Aquilina uncovered the yearning for the meaning of life and ultimate destiny in the legends that was missing from my class. Perhaps because my professor came was a self-proclaimed Anglophile (although he didn't take milk and cream with his Earl Grey), he missed the piercing Catholic underpinnings of the legends that were the foundation of the quest.

Mr. Aquilina was able, in relatively few pages to weave the nuances and intracacies of humanity's search for reason and belief in and out of the various Grail legends throughout history. I was pleased to be re-introduced to so many storytellers who I spent long nights with (usually right before exams) and to see them from a refreshingly new angle. It was like meeting an old friend whose memory has been distorted by the years. You see them as new creatures, filling in the details with new colors and textures. For me, The Grail Code completed the image in my mind of the legends, the history and the characters that mottle our literary landscape even today.

This book came to be a gem for me. I look forward to reading it again soon.

Thank you, Mr. Aquilina. It's been a pleasure.

It is unfortunate that The Grail Code will be seen by some merely as a work refuting The DaVinci Code. Such a misunderstanding might lead readers grown tired of the Dan Brown controversy to overlook it. In truth, the Grail Code is far more than another refutation of the dreadful novel. It is a superb account of the history and meaning of the Holy Grail. A must-read for those interested in the history of medieval literature.

In a world that is searching for a mestery and other explinations for the Grail, this book puts it all in perspective. Clear and concise writing along with scriptural refeance makes this the perfect book for those seeking the True Grail. Debunks many of the myths and misconceptions about the Grail and what it is. I recomend this for everyone who found to many flaws in the argument presented in The DaVinci Code.

One of my favorite books this year, Grail Code is the thoughtful answer to a question that has been on my mind for years, well before Dan Brown unleashed the merchandising behemoth that The Da Vinci Code became: namely, what is the core of the Arthur/Grail stories, and how do we understand the relationship of these stories to Christian culture? Mike Aquilina and Chris Bailey have done a bang-up job with this book. It's fun, with mock arthurian stylings in its chapter heads and allusions to such popular treatments as the 1981 John Boorman film Excalibur and 1989's Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.

Aquilina and Bailey highlight the changing contours of the legends in the hands of men like Chretien de Troyes, Walter Map, Sir Thomas Malory, and Alfred Lord Tennyson. They've turned the history of these romances into an engaging intellectual romance; they pull the reader in to a world that is much larger than he could ever have imagined. Aquilina and Bailey capture the sense of yearning that is the strong undercurrent of these stories. They liken the tale to a jewel-encrusted relic, a tale that grew in reverent retelling. Christian theology, British history, romance and adultery, this is a wide-ranging, romping read.

Schutz's photographic tour in "Great Cathedrals" is one of the most superb "coffee table" books on the market. The volume is massive in size and tips the scales at a number of pounds, but one glance is all it takes to be hooked. This is professional photography with results that only a seasoned photographer can produce, and then reproduced in the highest quality with splendid detail and high gloss, heavy weight paper. Browsing through these monumental pictures that pay homage to the monumental cathedrals, we forget all about the technical details of how the great Gothic structures were built and simply enjoy the fantastic beauty and immense impact the medieval architects planned all along. There are surprisingly few of these types of books in the American market (a plethora of them exist in France, England, and Germany), but Schutz's book fills the bill, and makes a splendid addition to the genre. From what I can see from the other posted reviews, it seems there is 100% agreement on the beauty of this book.

I got this book as an Xmas gift for my Dad who is a self confessed cathedral "junkie". He loved it and spent most of Xmas day and boxing day with his head buried in it.

He is a photographer and he commented on the great quality of the images, so I'm assuming that they must be good as he's really fussy about that sort of thing.

Awesome and great selection. Text provides enough information about the buildings. One of my favourite books.

This book has been around for at least 3 decades; I'm 43 and remember looking over an earlier edition with awe and reverence in the town library when I was a teenager.

The current edition has some nice updates, including added coverage of the great eastern European cathedrals, such as St. Vitus in Prague. The photography is splendid, and gives a feel of the look and scale of each building, as well as for the smaller details like sculpture and stained glass that makes each great cathedral a triumph of Western civilization.

If you are looking for a book that covers the major cathedrals of Europe in a thorough, satisfying way via photographs and a text providing the history of each building, a discussion of its style, and so forth, search no more. This is EASILY the best book out there that provides what you want.

Magnificent photography, both general views and close-ups of architectural details and stained glass. The book covers France, Germany, England, Spain and Italy. UIt contains a useful glossary of architectural terms and floor-plans of each cathedral. The "Crazy Vaults" of Lincoln Cathedral are not to be missed! I wanted this book to study cathedral design in general, and it more than met my expectations.