“In these times … it is refreshing to find a book which shows the beauty that Islam has given all of us. This book is a feast for the eyes, it is beautifully illustrated with a great accompanying text explaining the principles of Islamic architecture. If you want one book on the subject, this is the one!”

 

“I was pleasantly surprised by this book. Firstly the illustrations are lavish, both in quantity and in clarity and colour, and alone are worth buying the book for. The ancient Andean world was a colourful place and this book does it full justice with wonderful photographs of textiles, ceramics and metalwork. There are many photographs of artefacts and sites that I have not seen before, which  makes the book refreshingly new. Even when familiar sites are photographed … the choice has been made to include shots from unusual but interesting angles. I was also impressed by the written content. I know of Jeffrey Quilter through his work with Gary Urton editing Narrative Threads – a book on the khipu (Quipu). His account in this volume is very readable and gets across some key points regarding Andean culture well. The difficult balance of providing some detail on each culture whilst avoiding generalisations is successfully achieved. The theme of building from the earliest cultures to the latest shows both the variety and the continuity of Andean cultures and what a creative place the ancient Andes were. In short, I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in ancient Peru.”

“…an extremely attractive, and attractively priced, book … crammed with photographic illustrations – landscapes, archaeological sites, artefacts large and small and of various kinds – that are beautifully printed… So far, this doubtless sounds like a description of the better sort of coffee-table book, but it is rather more than that. Author Jeffrey Quilter … writes very well for an intelligent and inquisitive general readership, combining imaginative re-creation with description and archaeological and historical detail. … In short, this is an attractive and interesting book whose audience surely will not be limited to those with an immediate interest in Andean and Latin American archaeology and history.”

“John Canon’s Secret Language of Sacred Spaces is a well-crafted visual manual of significant religious architecture throughout the world. The inclusion of photographs and paintings … makes the book enjoyable for almost any age or level of interest. … He uses small insets of photographs that magnify intricate details of otherwise overwhelmingly ornate images. He also uses helpful diagrams and numberings in pictures as points of explanation and example, providing specific information about smaller details or facets of the place of worship being discussed. … With his tactful combination of images and explanation, he reveals the secret language of sacred spaces both visually and verbally.”

“While the largely illiterate medieval worshippers could read the symbols contained within the windows and carvings of their churches, today, we are less attuned to what they all mean. The Secret Language of Churches & Cathedrals restores the lost spiritual meaning of these fine and fascinating buildings.  … These were places of religious education and told stories as well as creating an awe-inspiring feast that satisfied both the senses and the soul. So the next time you find yourself asking who is depicted in that stained glass window or what is the significance of those geometric figures or why is there a pelican on the lectern and ornate foliage on the pillars just reach for this book. It … provides a three-part illustrated key by which modern visitors can understand the layout, fabric and decorative symbolism of Christian sacred structures – thereby bringing back to life their original atmosphere of awe and sanctity.”

“This is a wonderful book of historical religious narratives and the influence of faiths on the architecture of places of worship. Cannon’s use of architectural design concepts, comparative religion and beatiful photo imagery creates a work of intellectual interest and surprising art at the same time.”

“…the superb, full-color photographs are interspersed with carefully designed ‘decoder’ special features that reveal to the reader the meaning of a building or one of its decorative elements as it was intended by its creator and understood by its original audience. A stunning reference book…”

“…this well-illustrated and basically well-conceived volume is … a useful book for those who would like to take a first look at Italian Renaissance paintings and understand their subjects…”

“John Chinnery has taught and inspired British students – I was once one of them – for more than half a century, and his guide to ‘the glories of the Kingdom of the Dragon’ is a fluent and authoritative cultural history with superb illustrations. Buddhism has always inspired China’s greatest art, and Chinnery includes a special section on Dazu, the Buddhist caves in Sichuan rediscovered in 1945, with their quirkily lifelike faces of humans as well as gods. There is also a beautifully sensual Buddha from the Qingzhou hoard, found by workmen digging up a school playing-field in Shandong 12 years ago.”