WINNER OF THE WOLFSON HISTORY PRIZE AND THE DUFF COOPER PRIZE FOR
NON-FICTION 'Endlessly fascinating and enjoyable' Neil MacGregor 'A
marvellous book' David Attenborough 'Full of delights' Tom Stoppard
An extraordinary exploration of the medieval world - the most
beguiling history book of the year This is a book about why
medieval manuscripts matter. Coming face to face with an important
illuminated manuscript in the original is like meeting a very
famous person. We may all pretend that a well-known celebrity is no
different from anyone else, and yet there is an undeniable thrill
in actually meeting and talking to a person of world stature. The
idea for the book, which is entirely new, is to invite the reader
into intimate conversations with twelve of the most famous
manuscripts in existence and to explore with the author what they
tell us about nearly a thousand years of medieval history - and
sometimes about the modern world too. Christopher de Hamel
introduces us to kings, queens, saints, scribes, artists,
librarians, thieves, dealers, collectors and the international
community of manuscript scholars, showing us how he and his fellows
piece together evidence to reach unexpected conclusions. He traces
the elaborate journeys which these exceptionally precious artefacts
have made through time and space, shows us how they have been
copied, who has owned them or lusted after them (and how we can
tell), how they have been embroiled in politics and scholarly
disputes, how they have been regarded as objects of supreme beauty
and luxury and as symbols of national identity. The book touches on
religion, art, literature, music, science and the history of taste.
Part travel book, part detective story, part conversation with the
reader, Meetings with Remarkable Manuscripts conveys the
fascination and excitement of encountering some of the greatest
works of art in our culture which, in the originals, are to most
people completely inaccessible. At the end, we have a slightly
different perspective on history and how we come by knowledge. It
is a most unusual book.
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