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 StoppardAn extraordinary exploration of the medieval world - the most beguiling
history book of the yearThis 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.
