Cathedral spotting at its best
‘Here are the greatest masterpieces of western civilisation’
Europe’s 100 Best Cathedrals
Simon Jenkins (Viking, £30)
IF Simon Jenkins were a building, what listing would he receive? Certainly Grade I, but I suspect a special super-plus category would be required. Many people would be content with a career as newspaper editor, columnist, National Trust chairman and general leading light, but he has further tasked himself to visit seemingly every structure of significance in this corner of the planet. After England’s Thousand Best Churches, England’s Thousand Best Houses and Britain’s 100 Best Railway Stations comes this latest volume. Does the man ever put his feet up?
The success of these works, based on heroically large numbers, has spawned imitators, in whom a trainspotterish urge may be suspected, but his book fulfils a real need. Here are the masterpieces of
