How to Look at Stained Glass

Book excerpt: A fresh, unstuffy guide to the stained-glass windows of England's churches, including a list of the top 50 places to see outstanding examples. The magical qualities of stained glass have an enduring appeal, but church windows tend to be ignored as a form of creative and artistic expression. Yet churches are accessible treasure trove of history, art and craftsmanship. No other set of historic buildings with such superb and important architectural and artists assets is as easy to visit. How to Look at Stained Glass is the companion guide that's needed to make sense of and enjoy the vast array of stained-glass windows in the churches of England. This fresh, unstuffy guide: - Uses an A-Z format to reveal a multitude of fascinating details - all the way from apples to zig-zags - Explores stained glass by themes, patterns, designs and effects - Requires no previous historical, artistic or religious knowledge - Covers all the major periods and styles, from medieval to modern, Victorian to postwar, eighteenth century to Arts and Crafts, figurative to abstract - Examines the fascinating and evolving iconography of stained glass - Makes looking at gloriously colourful, artistically important windows both entertaining and rewarding - Features a list of the top 50 places to see outstanding examples - Offers a useful index of churches by county