Building the Book Cathedral

Architecture

by David Macaulay

It has been twenty-six years since the publication of CATHEDRAL. David Macaulay's first book, CATHEDRAL, introduced readers around the world to his unique gift for presenting architecture and technology in simple terms, and for demystifying even the most complex of concepts. CATHEDRAL received a Caldecott Honor Medal and is now considered a classic. BUILDING THE BOOK CATHEDRAL includes the content of CATHEDRAL in its entirety. Here Macaulay traces the evolution of his creative process in "building" that first book, from the initial concept to the finished drawings. He introduces the basic elements of structure and sequence and explains why one angle of a drawing may be better for conveying an idea than another. He describes how perspective, scale, and contrast can be used to connect a reader with concepts, and how placement of a picture on a page can make a difference in the way information is communicated. Building the Book Cathedral provides an opportunity to examine Macaulay's unique problem-solving skills as he looks back over two and a half decades at the book that launched his distinguished career.

Genres: Nonfiction, Art, Architecture, Design

112 pages, Hardcover

First published October 25, 1999

About the author

David Macaulay, born in 1946, was eleven when his parents moved from England to Bloomfield, New Jersey. He found himself having to adjust from an idyllic English childhood to life in a fast paced American city. During this time he began to draw seriously, and after graduating from high school he enrolled in the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). After spending his fifth year at RISD in Rome on the European Honors Program, he received a bachelor’s degree in architecture and vowed never to practice. After working as an interior designer, a junior high school teacher, and a teacher at RISD, Macaulay began to experiment with creating books. He published his first book, Cathedral, in 1973. Following in this tradition, Macaulay created other books—including City, Castle, Pyramid, Mill, Underground, Unbuilding, and Mosque—that have provided the explanations of the how and the why in a way that is both accessible and entertaining. From the pyramids of Egypt to the skyscrapers of New York City, the human race’s great architectural and engineering accomplishments have been demystified through Macaulay's elaborate show-and-tells. Five of these titles have been made into popular PBS television programs.

Reviews

[J L's Bibliomania · Rating 5 out of 5]

My brother fell in love with the book Cathedral: The Story of Its Construction sometime in grade school, when the book was still relatively new. We attribute his becoming an architect in part to this and David Macaulay's other works.

My sons fell in love with cross section books and The New Way Things Work when they were about 7 and 9. They'd read and enjoyed Cathedral: The Story of Its Construction as well. So when I saw Building the Book Cathedral in the library, I had to bring it home.

It's been a hit and I enjoyed it, more for nostalgia than for the merits of the revisions that David Macaulay introduces in hindsight.

[Lee]

This is a really fun glimpse into how the process of writing/publishing a book sometimes* works.

*it's never the same for any two people, but you get a good idea of the process from glimpses like these

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a treasure because it takes us for a behind-the-scenes look into the production of CATHEDRAL. Included are Macaulay's early sketches, notes about his technique, reprinted panels that illustrate how he would have presented a particular panel to great effect, admissions about mistakes he made, and lessons he learned. Kind of like a documentary about making a film, it can help or be tedious. This volume further elevates CATHEDRAL, its author and its subject.

[Kitap · Rating 3 out of 5]

In Cathedral David Macaulay showed the world how a medieval cathedral was constructed. Here Macaulay shows how Cathedral itself was constructed, as a commemoration of the 25th anniversary of its publication.

[Mike Violano · Rating 5 out of 5]

Met the author at a publisher's convention and got this title signed by Macaulay. This "Inside the Book" is a fascinating look at how an artist works and creates.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perfect follow-up to Pillars of the Earth!

[Mckinley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting to look at after seeing the Cathedral book.
(Related to the Caldecott honor book.)

[Jennifer Shepard · Rating 5 out of 5]

This revision of a classic was satisfying to both me as it took a dive into my professional callings (architecture and editing).