Nicholas Orme

Historian Nicholas Orme joins us to discuss his new book, The History of England's Cathedrals, the first history of all of these spectacular buildings, from Birmingham and Bury St Edmunds to Worcester and York Minster - and, of course, Ely Cathedral.

England's sixty-two Anglican and Catholic cathedrals are some of our most iconic buildings, attracting millions of worshippers and visitors every year. Yet although much has been written about their architecture, there is no complete history of their life and activities. This is the first such book to provide one, stretching from Roman times to the present day.

The History of England's Cathedrals explains where and why they were founded, who staffed them, and how their structures evolved. It describes their worship and how this changed over the centuries, their schools and libraries, and their links with the outside world.

The history of these astonishing buildings is the history of England. Reading this book will bring you face to face with the Anglo-Saxons, Vikings, Normans, Reformation, Civil War, Victorian England, World War Two, and finally modern democracy.

Nicholas Orme is emeritus professor of history at Exeter University. He has written more than thirty books on the religious and social history of England, including Medieval Children, Tudor Children, and Going to Church in Medieval England, which was shortlisted for the Wolfson History Prize.