Bare Ruined Choirs

by David Knowles

This is a paperback edition of a classic David Knowles' abridgement of Volume 3 of The Religious Orders in England. Opening with vignettes of monastic life in the early Tudor period, the book examines the changing economic and religious climate as a prelude to the sombre story of the Suppression. The fate of the monastic buildings and lands and of the religious themselves is described in full, and numerous engravings and photographs illuminate this account of the transition from splendour to desolation.

329 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1976

About the author

Fr. David Knowles, OSB, FRHistS was born Michael Clive Knowles and was given the name 'David' when he joined the Order of Benedict in 1923. He was a historian and professor at University of Cambridge from 1947 to 1968 and served as president of the Royal Historical Society from 1957 to 1961.

*Note: there is more than one author named 'David Knowles,' however this particular individual is the most widely published.

Reviews

[Luke Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

The style is a bit dated but this is a nuanced, well researched look at the impact of the dissolution of the monasteries. It does lack insight into the personalities of the main players in places due to having such a broad canvas but it delivers on communicating the enormity of an overlooked event.