This volume provides for the first time a comprehensive guide to the books, texts, and literary culture of England in the generations after the Norman Conquest.

The Manuscripts of Early Norman England (c. 1066-1130) (British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowship Monographs)

Arts & Photography

Gameson, Richard

History & Criticism

Oxford University Press

· An exploration of the role of early medieval religious art in its historical context, focusing on England from the reign of Alfred the Great to the aftermath of the Norman conquest. Tenth and eleventh century society expressed itself extensively through visual means, and the surviving material provides a rich body of evidence for the religious culture of the time. Combining visual and documentary evidence, The Role of Art in the Late Anglo-Saxon Church sheds new light on a wide range of magnificent art works and their functions, and offers fresh perspectives on the ecclesiastical history and beliefs of late Anglo Saxon England, with important implications for the study of early medieval civilization in general.

The Role of Art in the Late Anglo-Saxon Church (Oxford Historical Monographs)

Clarendon Press

The Earliest Books of Canterbury Cathedral

History

Europe

British Library

In the era from 1000 to 1250, Europe underwent momentous social changes--including a growth in literacy and the emergence of the first universities--that resulted in a demand for more books. This in turn spurred new methods of book production and a critical period of development in calligraphy: through a series of incremental changes, bold leaps, and cultural exchanges, the rounded forms of the Caroline minuscule gave way to the straight strokes of Gothic blackletter, which were easier to produce--and would form the basis of the first typefaces cut by Gutenberg and his contemporaries. Scribes and Scripts traces this evolution through forty noteworthy illuminated manuscripts--and their scribes, many of whose names and circumstances are known to us. Author Richard Gameson, an eminent historian of the book, provides a fascinating commentary on the calligraphy and illumination of each manuscript and the career of its scribe, including the social factors that influenced his or her work. At least one page from each manuscript is shown in its entirety, and additional details highlight salient aspects of the calligraphy and decoration. A talented scribe himself, Gameson provides model alphabets and samples of the key stages in the evolution of high medieval script--an invaluable resource for calligraphers. Scribes and Scripts is perhaps the finest survey of high medieval calligraphy for a general audience, and certainly the richest, for it places the subject in the context of history and, indeed, individual lives. It will be an essential volume, and a source of considerable delight, for anyone interested in calligraphy, illuminated manuscripts, or medieval history.

Scribes and Scripts: Calligraphy in the High Middle Ages

Abbeville Press

The Earliest Books of Canterbury Cathedral: Manuscripts and Fragments to C. 1200 (Canterbury Sources)

Embracing poetic works by Chaucer, Lydgate and Hoccleve, prose writings on philosophy, contemplation and bibliophily, key service books for the clergy, and devotional texts for the laity, the present volume explores the interrelated themes of literature and devotion in England from the Black Death to the Reformation as seen through the lens of twenty-six precious manuscripts in Durham University Library. These unique volumes, several with fine illumination, are described and illustrated, their provenance is tracked, and their literary and devotional importance is explained. As, in addition, the inks, pigments and dyes that were used in each of them have been identified by optimal scientific techniques, this publication also offers an invaluable overview of the colorants used by the scribes and illuminators of a wide cross-section of late medieval manuscripts of English origin or provenance.

Literature and Devotion in Later Medieval England: A selection of manuscripts from Durham University Library

Collections, Catalogs & Exhibitions

Sacristy Press

Treasures of Durham University Library

Third Millennium Publishing

A beautiful book showcasing in lavish detail the highlights of Durham Cathedral's collection of medieval manuscripts, the finest collection of any English cathedral.

Manuscript Treasures of Durham Cathedral

Third Millenium Pub Ltd

Discover the Lindisfarne Gospels

Durham Cathedral

This lavishly illustrated book explores the early history and significance of the Lindisfarne Gospels, widely regarded as the finest surviving Anglo-Saxon manuscript of the early Christian era in England, and an unquestioned masterpiece of medieval calligraphy and illumination.

From Holy Island to Durham: The Lindisfarne Gospel

Religion & Spirituality

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Gameson, Richard. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Gameson, Richard