Westminster Abbey certainly ranks as one of the top tourist draws in the world, especially for American travelers, and those desiring a deeper profile of this London church than what a basic guidebook generally offers will do well to pay attention to this beautifully articulated essay by an Oxford professor...Exploration of the abbey's evolving functions since its origins in the thirteenth century takes the author specifically into such topics as the nature of Gothic architecture (with particular attention paid to Henry VII's chapel), the circumstances by which the abbey became a royal mausoleum and pantheon of the great, its importance as a gallery of sculpture, its physical setting within London's changing cityscape, and its major function as the site of coronations. A mellifluous writing style caps this splendid reading and learning experience. -- Brad Hooper "Booklist" (12/15/2004)

Richard Jenkyns is professor of the classical tradition, University of Oxford, and a fellow of Lady Margaret Hall. His previous books include Dignity and Decadence: Victorian Art and the Classical Inheritance and Virgil's Experience.