The European Book in the Twelfth Century

The 'long twelfth century' (1075-1225) was an era of seminal importance in the development of the book in medieval Europe and marked a high point in its construction and decoration. This comprehensive study takes the cultural changes that occurred during the 'twelfth-century Renaissance' as its point of departure to provide an overview of manuscript culture encompassing the whole of Western Europe. Written by senior scholars, chapters are divided into three sections: the technical aspects of making books; the processes and practices of reading and keeping books; and the transmission of texts in the disciplines that saw significant change in the period, including medicine, law, philosophy, liturgy, and theology. Richly illustrated, the volume provides the first in-depth account of book production as a European phenomenon.

'The book should and probably will be perceived as a companion volume to twelfth-century manuscript studies. Whether you read it as a manual to acquire a broader knowledge of the period, or selectively, as a reference tool, its comprehensive character makes it a very accessible introduction to the subject for junior and experienced scholars alike.' Joanna Fronska, Manuscript Studies

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