This elegantly produced volume is the culmination of the author's extended investigations of the historical and economic circumstances of the later medieval cathedral. Originating in a published doctoral thesis (Amsterdam University, 1981) that is revised and expanded here, Vroom offers a sovereign survey that is both precise and accessible, illuminating the financial and social mechanisms that made cathedral building possible.

He divides his study into two parts: the first focusing on the organization of the chapter and fabric and the means by which all social classes, from emperors to laymen, contributed toward construction. The second part of the book comprises a case study of the financing of the Cathedral of Utrecht with comparisons to nine European cities. The author also provides graphs plotting expenditures at these cathedrals, useful notes regarding money and archives, as well as appendices. These list extant fabric accounts for European foundations, annates and mendicatoria, as well as inventories for Utrecht and Buukerk. Interspersed through the text are ninety-three illustrations pertaining to such visual evidence as pilgrim badges, seals, receipts, drawings, liturgical furnishings, sculpture, stained glass, and indulgence chests.

This study will be invaluable to anyone working on any aspect of medieval cathedral building in Europe, as well as to anyone trying to understand the complex financial machinery and divergent interests invested in each campaign. Although there is no index other than one dedicated to place names, it is possible even in browsing among the sections of this book to discover something new about pardoners, confraternities, tithes, and the profitable relic tour.