Building St Paul’s, by James W. P. Campbell

Building St Paul’s, by James W. P. Campbell

Who would have thought that the construction of a building would be so interesting.

Campbell deftly weaves the story of St Paul’s Cathedral, from conception to its completion, and does so with prosaic and pristine style. He is able to take us on a journey filled with scandal, intrigue and ambition. The result is not so much a book about the church but a book about the whole of London in late seventeenth and early eighteenth century. We learn about Renaissance building technique, architectural styles, politics and patronage, and the general day to day life of common worker on the streets of the Capital. This may sound exceedingly dull but its actually fascinating. Who would have thought, that the original church had to be demolished with a giant battering ram shaped as an arrow. That rather than British Gothic, the cathedral borrows from Greek and Roman Classicism. That Wren was royally approved for such a project but then got shoved out when he was in his eighties. Or laborers worked twelve hour shifts, without cranes or bulldozers, and rather climbed timber scaffolding, that reached over three hundred feet into the air?

 I have often looked at buildings and am amazed and the craftsmanship employed in their construction. I think the old adage is true; they just don’t make them like they used too. Architecture has become a business like any other, with university graduates and corporations. In Christopher Wren’s day the work relied on individual genius, in conjunction with mass labour. Here we get an account that progresses just like the cathedral from the foundational bricks to the pinnacle. The result is a book that tells a story of London and everyday life, and St Paul’s is the locus in which the world city revolves around in all its colour and sound. Replete with illustrations, and fascinating details, this book is an interesting and enjoyable read.