Meetings with Remarkable Manuscripts

Posted on 18 January 2018 by Christopher de Hamel

An endlessly fascinating and enjoyable book Neil MacGregor 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. Read Meetings with Remarkable Manuscripts By Christopher de Hamel – kino-fada.fr I loved this book, the format was perfect, its language very accessible and it had tons of pictures that make you feel as if you are right there touching the books with the author Don t be afraid to dwell into this book, it is not too technical that makes it unappealing but not too simplistic that makes it nonsensical It is a very descriptive book that analyses some of the oldest books in existence and at the same time gives you a background into what was happening at the time the book was be I loved this book, the format was perfect, its language very accessible and it had tons of pictures that make you feel as if you are right there touching the books with the author Don t be afraid to dwell into this book, it is not too technical that makes it unappealing but not ...This is a remarkable book When looking at medieval manuscripts in museums, I think most of us admire their beauty, marvel at the fact that they have survived so long and perhaps give a fleeting thought to the scribes who produced them In this book Christopher de Hamel takes the reader on a journey which encompasses so muchthe role of these artefacts in the society of their times, their individual journeys through the hands of collectors and librarians and a glimpse of their current res This is a remarkable book When looking at medieval manuscripts in museums, I think most of us admire their beauty, marvel at the fact that they have survived so long and perhaps give a fleeting thought to the scribes who produced them In this book Christopher de Hamel takes the reader on a journey which encompasses so muchthe role of these artefacts in the society of their times, their individual journeys through the hands of collectors and librarians and a glimpse of their current resting places and those who continue to consult them to learn from them.The author s style is delig...Christopher de Hamel, if you re ever looking to round out a dinner party list, count me in Meetings with Remarkable Manuscripts is informative, exciting, accompanied by beautiful photographs It s exhilarating, written in a very conversational style while still packing in as much context and information as humanly possible without boring the reader I think a certain amount of base knowledge is anticipated by de Hamel, but he s otherwise good at expressing the ideas he s conveying in an accessi Christopher de Hamel, if you re ever lo...The author wanted to call this book Interviews with Remarkable Manuscripts to reflect what he was trying to achieve, but was overruled by his publisher I think evenaccurate would have been Sunday Newspaper Glossy Interview Features with Remarkable Manuscripts but that would definitely have been overruled However it does get to the heart of the book which consists of detailed interviews with 12 famous medieval illuminated manuscripts, each housed in a different collection around The author wanted to call this book Interviews with Remarkable Manuscripts to reflect what he was trying to achieve, but was overruled by his publisher I think evenaccurate would have been Sunday Newspaper Glossy Interview Features with Remarkable Manuscripts but that would definitely have been overruled However it does get to the heart of the book which consists of detailed interviews with 12 famous medieval illuminated manuscripts, each housed in a different collection around the world Hamel includes details of his journey to interview the manuscript, the manuscripts appearance and feel and also how it made him feel, incidental details of the interview for example what he ate , small observations on the manuscript often of additional notes or markings made by previous researchers or owners of the man...Meetings with Remarkable Manuscripts is a beautifully produced book with gorgeous photos of twelve famous illuminated medieval manuscripts from the late 6th century to the early 16th century The author, Christopher De Hamel, traveled to various libraries in Europe and North America after having received permission to examine specific ancient books Photos of the libraries are included, too De Hamel traces the history of these manuscripts, and in doing so he also reveals medieval history The Meetings with Remarkable Manuscripts is a beautifully p...I hope that these encounters had conveyed some sense of the thrill of the pursuit and the simple pleasure of meeting an original manuscript, and asking it questions and listening to its replies De Hamel has ...A handsomely produced brick of a book, Meetings with Remarkable Manuscripts is an engaging introduction to twelve significant illuminated manuscripts produced in medieval Europe Given the number of illuminated manuscripts that survive, there s no way that any such selection could claim to be definitive or truly represenative, and Christopher de Hamel makes no claim to that These are merely twelve manuscripts books of hours, psalters, an anthology of song lyrics, a Chaucer manuscript that have A handsomely produced brick of a book, Meetin...What a beautiful, beautiful book.Masterful An authoritative, instructive, absorbing and entertaining account of some of the most beautiful documents in the world.So geeky Meat and drink for lovers of books particularly very old books Lege feliciter A few memorable passages Codex Amiantinus Out of interest, I attempted to pick the volume up I can do so, using both arms, but not when the manuscript is open, for it would be simply impossible to hold without it sagging uncontrollably in the middle Bruce Mitford weighed it at 75 lb, or, with binding, fittings, and travelling case, at an estimated 90 lb, comparable, as he unforgettably suggested, to the w So geeky Meat and drink for lovers of books particularly very old books Lege feliciter A few memorable passages Codex Amiantinus Out of interest, I attempted to pick the volume up I can do so, using both arms, but not when the manuscript is open, for it would be simply impossible to hold without it sagging uncontrollably in the middle Bruce Mitford weighed it at 75 lb, or, with binding, fittings, and travelling case, at an estimated 90 lb, comparable, as he unforgettably suggested, to the weight of a fully grown female Great Dane A twelve to thirteen year old boy is about the same.Book of Kells the most famous book in the world Copenhagen Psalter Annunciation Gabriel and Mary stand facing each other, eyeball to eyeball, between two arches of a cloister, raising their right hands to show that they are speaking.In examining manuscripts and wondering about their patrons, I have a self formulated rule that if you are not sure whether a book is royal, it isn t.Visconti Semideu...

English
18 January 2018

Christopher de Hamel