Westminster Abbey:
A Church in History

David Cannadine

Price
£25
Type
Print
Publicaton Date
July 2024
Standard Number
9781913107475
Distributor
Yale University Press
Specifications
456 pages, 241 x 184mm (paperback)
Illustrations
100 color + 100 b-w illus.

A comprehensive and authoritative history that explores the significance of one of the most famous buildings and institutions in England

Westminster Abbey was one of the most powerful churches in Catholic Christendom before transforming into a Protestant icon of British national and imperial identity. Celebrating the 750th anniversary of the consecration of the current Abbey church building, this book features engaging essays by a group of distinguished scholars that focus on different, yet often overlapping, aspects of the Abbey’s history: its architecture and monuments; its Catholic monks and Protestant clergy; its place in religious and political revolutions; its relationship to the monarchy and royal court; its estates and educational endeavours; its congregations; and its tourists. Clearly written and wide-ranging in scope, this generously illustrated volume is a fascinating exploration of Westminster Abbey’s thousand-year history and its meaning, significance, and impact within society both in Britain and beyond.

About the author

  • David Cannadine is president of the British Academy and Dodge Professor of History at Princeton University.