Notre-Dame

Reflective and informative, this study on the Notre-Dame cathedral recounts the harrowing fire in 2019, a quick history of gothic architecture, the cathedral's journey from origins to present day, and the recent reconstruction efforts which restored the monument to it's full glory. I've been lucky to visit the cathedral in Paris twice, before the fire and after the reopening, and these pages capture its impressive stature, finer details, and storied moments in a forthright style.

It's the rare book that is so short yet comprehensive and I enjoyed the multi-faceted approach to architecture and history. There's the harrowing fire, re-told almost minute by minute. A detailed introduction to gothic architecture, with the difference between a barrel and ribbed vault, or a nave and a transept, and what sorts of building techniques may have been used back then (lots of ropes and pulleys, certainly not computers!). Like the cover, each of the full page illustrations evoke a modern style

The later sections describe the reconstruction and highlight key figures in seeing it to completion. It touches on the global reaction in broad strokes - mentions of emotional outcry, for example, but not the contributions of global artisans, which I'd found moving during news stories at the time - and while it can feel quick, it helps preserve the factual eye. The author appeals to people's collective spirit rather than sappy sentimentality, on this topic and when describing the effects of time and pollution on the aging stone.

End materials include some building statistics, interesting facts, and an architectural glossary.

For those interested in architecture, cathedrals, world monuments, and testaments to enduring civilization, this will be a treat.