What do you think?
Rate this book
The Medieval Book: Illustrated from the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library
For centuries philologists, linguists, and historians have read medieval books to study the language of a given work or to establish an accurate and readable text. Art historians also have considered illuminated manuscripts as important repositories for works of art. But in recent decades new interest has developed in the over-all physical format of the medieval book and its historical context – how manuscript books were made and how they have deepened our understanding of the intellectual and social milieu of the Middle Ages and Renaissance. One of the richest storehouses of early manuscripts is Yale University’s Beinecke Library. Its collection provides the basis for Barbara Shailor’s fully illustrated study of the medieval book and its place in society. Shailor first examines the manuscript books as an archaeological artifact of a period when mass-production was unknown and every volume had to be written and assembled by hand. She then groups books by genre – both religious and secular – to show how the contents of a volume and its function within society influenced its physical appearance and the way in which it was produced. A brief look at the transition from manuscript to printed book concludes the survey. Originally published by the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library in 1988, this work has quickly become an indispensable guide for scholars in a wide range of medieval studies.
115 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 1991
38 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
October 17, 2013
As a companion piece for an exhibit held in 1988, this book is excellent. It directs attention to key pieces in the material and offers information about the evolution of medieval books. The text offers a greater appreciation for details that many casual spectators overlook.
As a stand-alone book its value is more subdued. The book is broken into too many subsections similar to an action novel, which drives the reader on at the cost of overwhelming the reader with detail. Clearly designed for donors, this approach titillates with little education. A lay audience is quickly lost in the changing details. This is especially true for readers who rely on the illustrations in the book. Speaking of which, the illustrations are very good and occupy over half of the book. However, these lovely illustrations cannot balance the brevity of the detail that is presented. Even as an introductory text, readers will be forced to continue to consult other resources for identifying calligraphy and binding styles. Early sections discussing calligraphy present some sense of chronology and evolution; but the speed and brevity of each section means they tend to blur together, especially when Shailor remarks that some styles are based on earlier ones; but does not further explain how to distinguish.
Curiously, there is only the briefest mention of the Voynich Manuscript, and no images. The scientific or magic cypher has yet to be conclusively deciphered even though the contents contain excellent images of plants that can be tentatively attributed. The wording is still guesswork, and some of the images are bizarre. As with the rest of the book, Shailor, offers vague descriptions of some images, and rapidly changes topics.
Best as a coffee table book for readers with a cursory interest. The graphics are excellent, even with only limited color plates.
As a stand-alone book its value is more subdued. The book is broken into too many subsections similar to an action novel, which drives the reader on at the cost of overwhelming the reader with detail. Clearly designed for donors, this approach titillates with little education. A lay audience is quickly lost in the changing details. This is especially true for readers who rely on the illustrations in the book. Speaking of which, the illustrations are very good and occupy over half of the book. However, these lovely illustrations cannot balance the brevity of the detail that is presented. Even as an introductory text, readers will be forced to continue to consult other resources for identifying calligraphy and binding styles. Early sections discussing calligraphy present some sense of chronology and evolution; but the speed and brevity of each section means they tend to blur together, especially when Shailor remarks that some styles are based on earlier ones; but does not further explain how to distinguish.
Curiously, there is only the briefest mention of the Voynich Manuscript, and no images. The scientific or magic cypher has yet to be conclusively deciphered even though the contents contain excellent images of plants that can be tentatively attributed. The wording is still guesswork, and some of the images are bizarre. As with the rest of the book, Shailor, offers vague descriptions of some images, and rapidly changes topics.
Best as a coffee table book for readers with a cursory interest. The graphics are excellent, even with only limited color plates.
December 7, 2024
Here's what I wrote for my review assignment:
Shailor’s work provides scholars with an immersive experience. Written to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Yale University’s Beinecke Library, the showcased exhibition details Middle Age and Renaissance manuscripts dubbed as medieval works of literature. The Medieval Book is divided into two parts. We first see manuscripts as individual pieces during a time where books were assembled by hand prior to the industrial revolution (Shailor 3). The writer highlights individual components of a book that helped to make one special, especially as the book as an art form evolved over time. In the second part, Shailor breaks down two specific book categories, religious and secular, to show readers how a work’s use among society impacted its production.
What will come as a plus to scholars who are not familiar with medieval book production is the guide’s attention to detail with its layout. Photos of most of the exhibit’s contents are interspersed throughout The Medieval Book, keeping a reader’s attention. Each new section is preceded by a term in all capital letters before a description follows in italicized text. Readers effectively follow along with the evolving book as Shailor’s work continues. The exhibit descriptions are clear and concise, stating what makes an object unique and providing history on a format. Item transitions are also provided in italicized text.
Shailor highlighting the Beinecke Library’s exhibit items are concise and thorough. It gave me the feeling of browsing a digital exhibit before those gained footing during this century and the COVID 19 quarantine. She makes clear distinctions between items and terms that are used throughout the book. A reader will walk away from the text knowing the differences between Gothic book hands and Gothic script for example. This approach also extends to book production beyond the page. Book binding gets a dedicated section where Shailor goes through the different techniques used to sew a book together. One such style, Ethiopic MS 5, is described as bearing a distinct similarity to Egyptian manuscripts (Shailor 55). Two photos at the bottom of the page show the exhibit item and illustration to demonstrate.
When it comes time to advance to the Function and Format section, Shailor hones in on a manuscript’s life cycle before breaking down format type differences. She writes: “Styles of writing, decoration, and binding popular in one century or geographical location would have been inappropriate at a different time or place” (Shailor 68). This stance is apparent in how she writes about monastery book production. One monastery’s work ethic did not match another. In addition, the texts often traveled to be read from or copied for personal use, staying in another place for an extended period of time (Shailor 68). This information helps ground the reader in spotting how the medieval text continued to evolve under specific circumstances.
This is the most apparent with religious texts. Shailor spends fifteen pages on the importance of the form in medieval life. The descriptions are interspersed with black and white and color photographs of examples, some being full size on a page. A reader also learns that the Bible became the central text for many scholars. It was actually during the 12th and 13th centuries that the book order was firmly established (Shailor 79). As the Bible’s portability increased, so did private religious material. The included content on the Books of Hours includes several color photos that catch the reader’s attention. Page 82 contains the book’s cover. Its borders of birds and angels proves to be an arresting sight combined with the author’s description: “The brightness of the shimmering golds contrasts starkly with the vivid blue background and the silver of the soldiers’ armor” (Shailor 85). This is a perfect example of how this exhibit was brought to life in the text. Shailor invites her readers in to make their own impressions of these works alongside her own.
The book concludes with a medieval text’s other uses beyond the religious sphere. Shailor showcases scholarly texts that reminded me of modern day rentals where past students brought in their own annotations. The Aristole example actually ended up being designed for the university scholar! A “neat Gothic book hand” type was formatted to the center of the page, allowing the student to use the rest of it to make their own observations (Shailor 96).
An object that will catch a reader’s attention is featured on pages 104 and 105. Titled The Treatyse of Fishing with an Angle, it builds on the fifteenth century popularity of the sport due to its wide appeal (Shailor 104). The text reaffirms the dignity gained by a fisherman through the bounty gained. Shailor states the information featured would have made this a priority for a fisherman’s collection. We only see how a reader could learn to build a fishing float in the example photo, but there are also sections where you could learn about what line to use to catch fish, and ideal casting locations.
One weakness with the book is not every example is shown. Whether due to space or item condition, the reader misses out on some of the described content that could have provided a more immersive experience. The example photos mostly proceed in order, but there were a few where order was compromised to group similar texts together. This led to a slightly jaunty flow despite it being easy to get back on track. There also was not a clear section divider between the two parts. One has to look at the bottom right corner of the pages to see where the change happens.
Despite some of these weaknesses, The Medieval Book is a great entry point for readers who are not familiar with medieval book production. Shailor’s expertise makes for informative item descriptions, and the included photos help build on her arguments. The title also makes for a great introduction into medieval book collections and the contents they could include. I would be fascinated to see more on Yale’s collection and how it has grown since 1988, when this book was initially published.
Shailor’s work provides scholars with an immersive experience. Written to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Yale University’s Beinecke Library, the showcased exhibition details Middle Age and Renaissance manuscripts dubbed as medieval works of literature. The Medieval Book is divided into two parts. We first see manuscripts as individual pieces during a time where books were assembled by hand prior to the industrial revolution (Shailor 3). The writer highlights individual components of a book that helped to make one special, especially as the book as an art form evolved over time. In the second part, Shailor breaks down two specific book categories, religious and secular, to show readers how a work’s use among society impacted its production.
What will come as a plus to scholars who are not familiar with medieval book production is the guide’s attention to detail with its layout. Photos of most of the exhibit’s contents are interspersed throughout The Medieval Book, keeping a reader’s attention. Each new section is preceded by a term in all capital letters before a description follows in italicized text. Readers effectively follow along with the evolving book as Shailor’s work continues. The exhibit descriptions are clear and concise, stating what makes an object unique and providing history on a format. Item transitions are also provided in italicized text.
Shailor highlighting the Beinecke Library’s exhibit items are concise and thorough. It gave me the feeling of browsing a digital exhibit before those gained footing during this century and the COVID 19 quarantine. She makes clear distinctions between items and terms that are used throughout the book. A reader will walk away from the text knowing the differences between Gothic book hands and Gothic script for example. This approach also extends to book production beyond the page. Book binding gets a dedicated section where Shailor goes through the different techniques used to sew a book together. One such style, Ethiopic MS 5, is described as bearing a distinct similarity to Egyptian manuscripts (Shailor 55). Two photos at the bottom of the page show the exhibit item and illustration to demonstrate.
When it comes time to advance to the Function and Format section, Shailor hones in on a manuscript’s life cycle before breaking down format type differences. She writes: “Styles of writing, decoration, and binding popular in one century or geographical location would have been inappropriate at a different time or place” (Shailor 68). This stance is apparent in how she writes about monastery book production. One monastery’s work ethic did not match another. In addition, the texts often traveled to be read from or copied for personal use, staying in another place for an extended period of time (Shailor 68). This information helps ground the reader in spotting how the medieval text continued to evolve under specific circumstances.
This is the most apparent with religious texts. Shailor spends fifteen pages on the importance of the form in medieval life. The descriptions are interspersed with black and white and color photographs of examples, some being full size on a page. A reader also learns that the Bible became the central text for many scholars. It was actually during the 12th and 13th centuries that the book order was firmly established (Shailor 79). As the Bible’s portability increased, so did private religious material. The included content on the Books of Hours includes several color photos that catch the reader’s attention. Page 82 contains the book’s cover. Its borders of birds and angels proves to be an arresting sight combined with the author’s description: “The brightness of the shimmering golds contrasts starkly with the vivid blue background and the silver of the soldiers’ armor” (Shailor 85). This is a perfect example of how this exhibit was brought to life in the text. Shailor invites her readers in to make their own impressions of these works alongside her own.
The book concludes with a medieval text’s other uses beyond the religious sphere. Shailor showcases scholarly texts that reminded me of modern day rentals where past students brought in their own annotations. The Aristole example actually ended up being designed for the university scholar! A “neat Gothic book hand” type was formatted to the center of the page, allowing the student to use the rest of it to make their own observations (Shailor 96).
An object that will catch a reader’s attention is featured on pages 104 and 105. Titled The Treatyse of Fishing with an Angle, it builds on the fifteenth century popularity of the sport due to its wide appeal (Shailor 104). The text reaffirms the dignity gained by a fisherman through the bounty gained. Shailor states the information featured would have made this a priority for a fisherman’s collection. We only see how a reader could learn to build a fishing float in the example photo, but there are also sections where you could learn about what line to use to catch fish, and ideal casting locations.
One weakness with the book is not every example is shown. Whether due to space or item condition, the reader misses out on some of the described content that could have provided a more immersive experience. The example photos mostly proceed in order, but there were a few where order was compromised to group similar texts together. This led to a slightly jaunty flow despite it being easy to get back on track. There also was not a clear section divider between the two parts. One has to look at the bottom right corner of the pages to see where the change happens.
Despite some of these weaknesses, The Medieval Book is a great entry point for readers who are not familiar with medieval book production. Shailor’s expertise makes for informative item descriptions, and the included photos help build on her arguments. The title also makes for a great introduction into medieval book collections and the contents they could include. I would be fascinated to see more on Yale’s collection and how it has grown since 1988, when this book was initially published.
June 23, 2020
A fraction of the original exhibition, I bet. A swell coffee table topper. To understand medieval Europe, you have to reckon with medieval book production and its role in the Church, in monastic communities, and among the increasingly empowered gentry and laity. This book is a succinct expression of that.
Takeaway:
"Only a small number of such bindings have survived."
Takeaway:
"Only a small number of such bindings have survived."
October 17, 2014
A really wonderful introductory text for anyone interested in bookbinding, illumination, or scripts, as well as different types of manuscripts and codices. I bought this for a class and am glad to have purchased it because it will make a handy reference. It's so short that I definitely recommend it as a starting point for anyone getting into the field. It goes very well with Raymond Clemens' book, "Introduction to Manuscript Studies."
January 18, 2013
A very clear informational text about medieval scrolls and codices. Covers the materials (papyrus, parchment, paper, etc), the script types, the various illuminations and illustrations, the numerous types and ways of binding, and the purposes of the books. The accompanying photos were incredibly helpful. This book will be a useful reference in the future.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews