Manuscripts from the Anglo-Saxon Age
17 December 2007
By Michelle P Brown
Publication date: 12 December 2007
This beautifully illustrated new book by renowned manuscripts expert Michelle Brown provides an authoritative introduction to Manuscripts from the Anglo-Saxon Age, aided by over 140 colour images from the finest antiquarian manuscripts. It is published by the British Library on 12 December 2007.
Manuscripts from the Anglo-Saxon Age offers a fascinating insight into the art of book production in the Anglo-Saxon period and a historical overview of the era by examining its book culture. The publication is lavishly illustrated with 140 colour images reproduced from the finest Anglo-Saxon books in the British Library and other major collections.
The Anglo-Saxons first appeared on the historical scene as Germanic pagan pirates and mercenaries, moving into the declining Roman Empire in the 5th century AD and forging a series of kingdoms which became 'England'. By the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066, Anglo-Saxon England was one of the most sophisticated states in the medieval West, renowned for its ecclesiastical and cultural achievements.
In Manuscripts from the Anglo-Saxon Age, Michelle Brown demonstrates that the written word was of tremendous importance in this transformation and that within a century of the introduction of Christianity and literacy, the book had become a central element of Anglo-Saxon society and a rich vehicle for cultural and artistic expression.
For further information, images or review copies, contact Ruth Howlett at the British Library Press Office: +44 (0)20 7412 7112 or ruth.howlett@bl.uk
Notes for Editors
Manuscripts from the Anglo-Saxon Age by Michelle P Brown, is published in hardback by the British Library, 12 December 2007, price £25.00 (176 pages, 255 x 186mm, 140 colour illustrations, ISBN 978 0 0680 5). Available from the British Library Shop (tel: 020 7412 7735 / e-mail: bl-bookshop@bl.uk) and online at www.bl.uk/shop as well as other bookshops throughout the UK.
Michelle P Brown is an internationally renowned manuscripts specialist. She has published extensively on Anglo-Saxon and medieval history and manuscripts. Her most important recent publication relating to Anglo-Saxon England is The Lindisfarne Gospels: Society, Spirituality and the Scribe (British Library, 2003).
The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom and one of the world's greatest research libraries. It provides world class information services to the academic, business, research and scientific communities and offers unparalleled access to the world's largest and most comprehensive research collection. The Library's collection has developed over 250 years and exceeds 150 million separate items representing every age of written civilisation. It includes: books, journals, manuscripts, maps, stamps, music, patents, newspapers and sound recordings in all written and spoken languages. Further information is available on the Library's website at www.bl.uk