The Posthumous Papers of the Manuscripts Club
£27.70£38.00 (-27%)
The illuminated manuscripts of the Middle Ages are among the greatest works of European art and literature. We are dazzled by them and recognize their crucial role in the transmission of knowledge. But we generally think much less about the countless men and women who made, collected and preserved them through the centuries, and to whom they owe their existence.
This entrancing book describes some of the extraordinary people who have spent their lives among illuminated manuscripts over the last thousand years. A monk in Normandy, a prince of France, a Florentine bookseller, an English antiquary, a rabbi from central Europe, a French priest, a Keeper at the British Museum, a Greek forger, a German polymath, a British connoisseur and the woman who created the most spectacular library in America – all of them were participants in what Christopher de Hamel calls the Manuscripts Club.
This exhilarating fraternity, and the fellow enthusiasts who come with it, throw new light on how manuscripts have survived and been used by very different kinds of people in many different circumstances. Christopher de Hamel’s unexpected connections and discoveries reveal a passion which crosses the boundaries of time. We understand the manuscripts themselves better by knowing who their keepers and companions have been.
In 1850 (or thereabouts) John Ruskin bought his first manuscript ‘at a bookseller’s in a back alley’. This was his reaction: ‘The new worlds which every leaf of this book opened to me, and the joy I had in counting their letters and unravelling their arabesques as if they had all been of beaten gold – as many of them were – cannot be told.’ The members of de Hamel’s club share many such wonders, which he brings to us with scholarship, style, and a lifetime’s experience.
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Additional information
| Publisher | Allen Lane, 1st edition (27 Oct. 2022) |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Hardcover | 624 pages |
| ISBN-10 | 0241304377 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-0241304372 |
| Dimensions | 16.8 x 5.3 x 23.8 cm |
by FrankT
Interesting and informative
by Dr Tolstoyevsky
This is a beautiful, glorious & fascinating book about the manuscripts of the Middle Ages. It really is a delight (and, as always, a good price on Amazon!!!)
The attention to detail is superb & the pictures are out of this world.
If you enjoy reading about the Middle Age period then (I promise) you WILL enjoy the wonderful book.
It’s the kind of book you can go back to, keep forever but never (NEVER) lend-out to someone.
This would be a great edition to any bibliophile‘s library.
Buy ‘n’ Enjoy!!!
by O. G. M. Morgan
To get the bad bit out of the way, Christopher de Hamel knows very little about Ancient Rome. I really don’t understand why Christopher de Hamel included a chapter on Theodor Mommsen. How does Mommsen fit into this parade of creators and collectors of manuscripts? Mommsen recognised the historical value of epigraphy, but Hamel fails to tie that in to his broader narrative.
The rest of this book is sometimes engaging, sometimes (fewer times, to be fair) infuriating. Hamel knows his subject, for the most part, which is what makes his obvious ignorance of Ancient Rome so annoying. He has literally held in his hands many of the documents to which he refers here and his enthusiasm is infectious.
I’d give twelve stars for the outstanding plates, which are off-the-chart superb. On the right tablet, you can magnify and magnify and magnify these pictures and appreciate the details.
Four stars overall: no more than three for the text, but those glorious plates compensate.
by Dr Tolstoyevsky
I wish when I studied history at school and university this book had been available. Each chapter places individual manuscripts and interested parties- illuminator, collector, etc within a broader historical backdrop of key events – printing technology, the reformation and renaissance and really helps the reader in understanding the significance of such documents. Not too academic and an easy discursive style. First class.
by Kim
This is a short but excellent book. As usual Christopher de Hamel demonstrates both his immense experience of examining old manuscripts and a talent for communication. The book is copiously illustrated with excellent examples from a wide range of documents. De Hamel always seems able frame his explanations in a human context and using many little clues gives us an insight of the day to day production of these works of art as they evolved from insular monasteries and scriptoriums to in-effect make-to-order production lines for the very wealthy. It makes a great companion book to his other book “Meetings with remarkable manuscripts” as it gives us more of an insight on the production side as opposed to the history and possible thinking of those commissioning the works and owning them. De Hamel is also quite skilled at staying on topic, it would be easy to drift into all sorts of arcane areas, but he consciously avoids this. I enjoyed this short read immensely and learned a lot from it.
by Shaun Ogle
One of the best buys I have made this year. Not one to be read cover to cover but one to be enjoyed piecemeal. Beautifully reproduced MSS and a new insight each page. Worth every penny
by Nick
It would be hard to praise this book too highly. Originally published under a different title in 1992 but now updated and lavishly illustrated throughout, this is both a feast for the eyes and a fascinating exposition of the craft of making medieval manuscripts. My only minor reservation is that, at under 150 pages, the book should be longer, if only to spin out the pleasure of reading it.
by Liz
A brilliant introduction to the world of medieval manuscripts and their production. Who knew a bible on vellum needed a whole herd of sheep to be produced? Excellent both for the student and the layperson.