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Meetings with Remarkable Manuscripts
Meetings with Remarkable Manuscripts | Christopher de Hamel
22 posts | 5 read | 3 reading | 28 to read
'An endlessly fascinating and enjoyable book' Neil MacGregor 'Full of delights' Tom Stoppard An extraordinary exploration of the medieval world - the most beguiling history book of the year This 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.
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Mitch
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#bookmail

I‘ve been searching for a reasonably priced hardback version of this for a while and it‘s arrived and I‘m not disappointed! The illustrations are beautifully rendered and I can‘t wait to get stuck in and learn about these 12 game changing manuscripts! 👍🏼

MicrobeMom Beautiful Mitch! 2y
LeahBergen I received this as a Christmas gift! Isn‘t it gorgeous? 2y
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LeahBergen I haven‘t but it‘s on my “to buy” list (in hardcover, of course 😉). 2y
stevesbookstuf1 This looks really good. I read Mary Wellesley's The Gilded Page last year and loved how she grounded the manuscripts she discussed in the history of the times they were produced. 2y
Mitch @stevesbookstuf1 I‘ve not read that - that‘s for the heads up, it looks fab! 2y
72 likes2 stack adds7 comments
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SkeletonKey
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What I was eagerly awaiting, to do some art research.

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StaceyKondla
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I am posting one book per day from my extensive to-be-read collection. No description and providing no reason for wanting to read it, I just do. Some will be old, some will be new. Don‘t judge me - I have a lot of books. Join the fun if you want.
This is day 258 #bookstoread #tbrpile #bookstagram

Therewillbebooks I want this book! 3y
Mccall0113 I need to do this. Looks like fun. Maybe I will start it on the first of January. 3y
LeahBergen I have this one, too. What a beautiful book! 3y
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StaceyKondla @LeahBergen -it is super beautiful - I‘m such a sucker for beautiful books about books 💕 @Therewillbebooks - you should get this book because it is gorgeous 😊 @Mccall0113 -please tag me when you start so I don‘t miss your books! 🎉 3y
twohectobooks @Mccall0113 @StaceyKondla I think I‘ll be joining the fun as well, but probably just once a week because my TBR collection is very small! 3y
Mccall0113 @StaceyKondla I just realized your name... I‘m stacey too 🥰 3y
StaceyKondla @twohectobooks -I look forward to seeing your posts 😊 3y
StaceyKondla @Mccall0113 -you have a very awesome name 😉😍💕 3y
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review
rwmg
Pickpick

This book is as gorgeously illustrated as one would expect. The text has lots of little nuggets of information about the manuscripts, the libraries where they are kept. and some of the deductions we can make about the scribes and origins of the books. Obviously he couldn't reproduce the complete manuscripts and there were times it felt a bit like reading museum wall labels for exhibits one can't see but still very enjoyable overall.

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rwmg
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batsy That looks like a gorgeous book. 5y
rwmg @batsy
Beautifully illustrated. The text varies from fascinating to an overdose of museum-style labels.
5y
11 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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annahenke
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I‘m on hour four of the #readathon! Using this time to continue reading some books that I‘ve started but set aside for one reason or another but still intend to finish. What are you reading??

ChasingOm I loved that one on audio! 5y
87 likes1 stack add1 comment
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SkeletonKey
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Library haul for today. The hardest thing about being there every day is not taking home...everything.

#librarieslovelitsy #librarylove #litsyloveslibraries

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balletbookworm
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Pickpick

For being a book about a fairly dry subject this was an enjoyably chatty book with a mix of academic work, history, and personal anecdotes. De Hamel really gave a representative overview of the history of the illuminated manuscript by skillfully using his chosen twelve texts, bringing the books to life rather than leave them as museum pieces. You‘ll want to read the Notes for some wacky tidbits of information (see above 😂😂)

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Oberon
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Struggling with my concentration even though this book is excellent.

RaimeyGallant That's my week in a nutshell. :) And welcome to Litsy! #LitsyWelcomeWagon Some of us put together Litsy tips to help new Littens navigate the site. It's the link in my bio on my page in case you need it. Or if you prefer how-to videos, @chelleo put some together at the link in her bio. @LitsyWelcomeWagon 6y
Chelleo Welcome! Checkout #Litsytips: http://bit.ly/litsytips and #LitsyHowTo videos: http://bit.ly/litsyvideos They‘re great and should help you get settled in. Follow @LitsyHappenings to find out about various challenges, buddy reads, meet-ups and swaps taking place. 6y
2 likes2 comments
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Oberon

If Jorge Luis Borges‘ Library of Babel could have existed in reality, it would have been something like the Long Room of Trinity College.

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Oberon
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At the end of this chapter I will recount how Pope Benedict XVI and the Archbishop of Canterbury both bowed down before me, on live television, in front of the high altar of Westminster Abbey.

2 likes1 stack add
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annahenke
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#24in48 #24in48readathon #hour12challenge “What is the #bestfirstline in your stack?”

From a fascinating book that I‘ve already started about medieval manuscripts: “At the end of this chapter I will recount how Pope Benedict XVI and the Archbishop of Canterbury both bowed down before me, on live television, in front of the high altar of Westminster Abbey.”

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annahenke
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#illustrations #imagery #medieval #meetingswithremarkablemanuscripts #amreading #christianity #historical

An illustration from the Gospels of Saint Augustine (late sixth century) with multiple scenes from the Passion of Christ, from the entry into Jerusalem through to the carrying of the cross.

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mfjuk

No-one got me this for Christmas so bought myself it as a pressie. Going to lock the door and hibernate with it.

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LeahBergen
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Happy Holidays, everyone!

I had a GREAT Christmas book haul this year (does it sound less greedy if it‘s books? 😆). This one is a beauty!

#BooksAboutBooks

batsy Oooh! Very nice 😍 6y
Cinfhen Another gorgeous cover 6y
Cathythoughts ✨✨✨✨❤️ 6y
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TrishB Lovely 💕 6y
LeeRHarry Wow! 😊 6y
erzascarletbookgasm Happy holidays! This is pretty! 6y
RohitSawant Awesome! 6y
Palimpsest This book is also on my wishlist! 6y
mrp27 Happy Holidays! 6y
112 likes6 stack adds9 comments
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Megara
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#merrychristmas #christmaspresent #bookhaul Sherlock Holmes‘ London Through the Eyes if Scotland Yard by Marcia Wilson. Away Off Shore by Nathaniel Philbrick. Magdalene: Poems by Marie Howe. The Book of Bibles. Meetings with Remarkable Manuscripts by Christopher de Hamel. Le Mort d‘Arthur by Sir Thomas Malory. Linguistic Archaeology by Edo Nyland. The Voynich Manuscript edited by Raymond Clemens. 😍😍😍

MrBook Whooaaa! #NiceStack! 6y
Megara @MrBook pretty excited to crack these open! Happy holidays! 6y
15 likes2 comments
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hel-the-gell
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Assignments have been submitted and Christmas pressies bought. Now I get to hunker down with what probably is the prettiest book I own! #nonfiction #history

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annahenke
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It‘s illustrated and fascinating and I had to buy it!

NCNY Ooh. I've flipped through this so many times at Barnes & Noble. It's so pretty. 6y
wanderlustforwords Oooooooooo! This sounds like something I would loooove! 6y
Tamra I bet that‘s a gorgeous gem. 6y
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annahenke @NCNY @wanderlustforwords @Tamra it‘s gorgeous and so lovingly written as a homage to books. I will post pictures! 6y
Tamra @annahenke please! 6y
KarinWestbrook What a beautiful cover! 6y
97 likes3 stack adds6 comments
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rwmg
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And it was! A belated birthday present from my sister

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quietlycuriouskate
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Three measures of delight and one of mild panic: these library reservations/holds all came in at once! (They may mostly be slim volumes but three are poetry so I can't just zip through them.) #libraryhaul 📚

Tamra Very pretty stack! 6y
45 likes1 comment
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Bookishlie
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A break from The Fireman. I need to find thinner books to lug around!!

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charl08
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Some gorgeous pictures in this beautiful book about books...

MrBook Oh, woooooow!!! 😁 7y
48 likes3 stack adds1 comment