Abbot Suger of St-Denis

The first full biography in English of Abbot Suger (1081-1151) which uses literary, architectural and historical evidence to reassess one of the key figures of the twelfth century. Suger was active in both secular and religious affairs: he was Regent of France and he was Abbot of one of the most important abbeys in Europe during the time of the Gregorian reforms. He was also the writer of major works of history and politics which have shaped our understanding of the times, and a leading patron of the arts whose commissions included the first buildings in the new Gothic style. Lindy Grant reviews him in all these roles - and in doing so opens up a window on the twelfth-century world in all its vigour and complexity.