An analytical approach to prediction of the response of generally laminated cylindrical shells to steady-state or time-dependent axisymmetric thermal fields is considered. Although cross sections of such shells can rotate about the shell axis, deformations and stresses remain independent of the circumferential coordinate. Closed form solutions based on Love's first approximation theory and Donnell's shell theory extended to generally laminated shells are discussed for eight types of boundary conditions. It is shown that in particular cases the general solution coincides with previously published results. To the best knowledge of the author this is the first closed form solution of thermal problems of generally laminated shells.