This first paperback facsimile of the classic 1913 edition includes
thirteen photographs and numerous illustrations of the great cathedrals
of Northern France. Henry Adams referred to this book as "A Study of
Thirteenth-Century Unity," and its expansive scope, together with the
author's deep understanding of the period, makes it a classic in art
history as well as in American literature. He wrote, "I wanted to show
the intensity of the vital energy of a given time, and of course that
intensity had to be stated in its two highest terms-religion and art."
Henry Adams' record of his journeys through France, searching for images
of unity in an age of conflict, is accompanied by observations on
literature, politics, religion, and maior church leaders such as
Abelard, St. Francis of Assisi, and St. Thomas Aquinas.