How to Read Churches: A Crash Course in Ecclesiastical Architecture Paperback – Illustrated, April 12, 2011

I bought this to take with me on a trip to Germany and Austria since we planned to visit quite a few churches. I read a couple chapters on the plane, and browsed others. I have very little knowledge of church architecture and my memory of the historical periods is foggy at best. I wanted something that would jog my memory - main elements of baroque or Gothic for example. This little guide was amazing! There were explanations about how to distinguish a cathedral from a basilica just by looking at the columns. I was able to easily use the guide as a reference as soon as our red-eye flight landed. Even after our trip, this guide was so interesting and clearly written that I've enjoyed reading it simply for the pleasure of learning more about the subject. It doesn't read like it's been 'dumbed down' for a complete novice such as myself, so I imagine anyone with an interest in church architecture would enjoy this compact guide.

I love this little book. Note the “little” part. It is indeed small and the font is likewise small, but it’s portable. It’s filled with super interesting facts about churches. I love how it has small snippets of information with a drawing to illustrate the point. No super long paragraphs and wondering what all that meant. Just remember: it’s small!

This is a wonderful little book. I almost didn't purchase it myself because of all the reviewers denigrating it for its typography and layout: they claim the text is too small; the pictures are subpar- none of this is true. Ignore these people; there is a lot of information packed into this little book in a succinct format and it is well worth the money.

Author Denis McNamara is a recognized expert in classical church architecture, which after 40 years of dreadful utilitarianism is thankfully making a comeback. In his new book, he uses beautiful sketches of famous and lesser-known churches, chapels, and cathedrals to teach readers about the styles, materials, motifs, and purposes of ecclesiastical buildings. It is a wonderful resource and, like a mini-coffee table book, a great thing to leave around the house for visitors and family members to pick up and read at their leisure. My one criticism is its topical organization. It would have benefited from earlier explanations of key concepts and terms, which the reader must learn as he or she reads along. Regardless, McNamara satisfies a need for a book on ecclesiastical architecture easily understood by non-expert laymen. Highly recommended.

Excellent overview of church architectural details over the Millennia. Also includes non-conventional churches, such as the Colline Norte-Dame du Huat in Ronchamp France. It lacks depth, yet is an excellent guide.

One of my favorite readings in the recent years. This is not a storytelling book but rather of pocket reference style. It is very well organized and succinctly written. Though small, it reveals a lot of hidden knowledge of churches. After reading this book whenever I go to a church in my trips I find much more than before. The making of the book is delicate and I especially like the drawings. Beautiful, elegant and very informative cute book.

This book combines a tremendous amount of information with valuable diagrams, and illustrations in a condensed, highly comprehensive format. Very enjoyable.

I usually enjoy reading about architecture, but this book is not a smooth read. Every item is covered in a short paragraph, and the commentary lacks flow. Images are small and lack citations. I'm not sure if they were pulled from public domain sketches or not.