Eminent French literature professor R. Howard Bloch has become renowned for his insider tours
of Paris given to college students abroad. Long sought after for his encyclopaedic knowledge
of French cathedrals Bloch has at last decided to share his intimate knowledge with a wider
audience. Here six cathedrals-Saint-Denis Chartres Sainte-Chapelle Reims Amiens and
Notre-Dame-are illumined in magnificent detail as Bloch taking us from the High Middle Ages to
the devastating fire that set Notre-Dame ablaze in 2019 traces the evolution of each in turn.
Contextualising the cathedrals within the annals of French history Bloch animates the past
with lush evocations of architectural splendour-high-flying buttresses and jewel-encrusted
shrines hidden burial grounds and secret chambers-and thrilling tales of kingly intrigue
audacious architects and the meeting of aristocratic and everyday life. Complete with the
author's own photographs Paris and Her Cathedrals vitally enhances our understanding of the
history of Paris and its environs.
