The Gilded Page: The Secret Lives of Medieval Manuscripts

Synopsis

A breathtaking journey into the hidden history of medieval manuscripts, from the Lindisfarne Gospels to the ornate Psalter of Henry VIII&“A delight—immersive, conversational, and intensely visual, full of gorgeous illustrations and shimmering description.&” –Helen Castor, author of She-WolvesMedieval manuscripts can tell us much about power and art, knowledge and beauty. Many have survived because of an author&’s status—part of the reason we have so much of Chaucer&’s writing, for example, is because he was a London-based government official first and a poet second. Other works by the less influential have narrowly avoided ruin, like the book of illiterate Margery Kempe, found in a country house closet, the cover nibbled on by mice. Scholar Mary Wellesley recounts the amazing origins of these remarkable manuscripts, surfacing the important roles played by women and ordinary people—the grinders, binders, and scribes—in their creation and survival.The Gilded Page is the story of the written word in the manuscript age. Rich and surprising, it shows how the most exquisite objects ever made by human hands came from unexpected places.&“Mary Wellesley is a born storyteller and The Gilded Page is as good as historical writing gets. This is a sensational debut by a wonderfully gifted historian.&” —Dan Jones, bestselling author of The Plantagenets and The Templars

Copyright:

2021

Book Details

Book Quality:

Publisher Quality

ISBN-13:

9781541675094

Related ISBNs:

9781541675087

Publisher:

Basic Books

Date of Addition:

10/12/21

Copyrighted By:

Mary Wellesley

Adult content:

No

Language:

English

Has Image Descriptions:

No

Categories:

History, Nonfiction, Art and Architecture, Literature and Fiction, Religion and Spirituality, Language Arts

Submitted By:

Bookshare Staff

Usage Restrictions:

This is a copyrighted book.