Description
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.
Table of Contents
Introduction Erik Kwakkel and Rodney Thomson; Part I. Book Production: 1. Codicology Erik Kwakkel and Rodney Thomson; 2. Book script Erik Kwakkel; 3. Decoration and illustration Martin Kauffmann; 4. Scribes and scriptoria Rodney Thomson; Part II. Readers and Their Books: 5. Scholars and their books Constant Mews; 6. The libraries of religious houses Teresa Webber; 7. Modes of reading Jenny Weston; 8. Practices of appropriation: writing in the margin Mariken Teeuwen; Part III. Types of Books: 9. Hebrew books Judith Schlanger; 10. Liturgical books Nicolas Bell; 11. Books of theology and bible study Lesley Smith; 12. Logic John Marenbon and Caterina Tarlazzi; 13. Old texts in new contexts: the classical revival Irene O'Daly; 14. Reading the sciences Charles Burnett; 15. Medical books Monica Green; 16. Law books Charles Radding; 17. Vernacular books Ian Short and Nigel F. Palmer.
