The gilded page The secret lives of medieval manuscripts

Wellesley teaches courses on medieval language and literature, and the focus of her book is the history of manuscripts in medieval England. Her approach is anecdotal, and she tells the stories well. She begins with the discovery of some manuscripts and the near loss of others. An example of the former is the finding, in the mid-1930s, of the Book of Margery Kempe, written by a 15th-century English Christian mystic; the latter is the near loss, in the Ashburnham House fire in 1731, of the only copy of Beowulf. Other chapters focus on patrons, artists, and scribes. In one intriguing chapter, Wellesley explores the relationship of authors to the copyists who preserved and adapted their texts. The closing chapter looks at the problems of identifying women authors and the difficulties of learning about even as noted an author as Julian of Norwich. The epilogue examines the displacement of the manuscript by the printed book, and the afterword looks at the uses and misuses of the past. Particularly useful is the glossary of terms. This volume provides readers with an idea of why manuscript research can fascinate. Those already involved in manuscript research will find the stories are still worth reading. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through faculty; general readers. --Thomas M. Izbicki, emeritus, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

Medievalist Wellesley's passion for her subject shines through in the text as well as her performance of this marvelous history of medieval illuminated manuscripts. The UK title, Hidden Hands: The Lives of Manuscripts and their Makers, perhaps better describes the book's focus: the often-anonymous people who financed, created, used, preserved, rescued, and, sadly, sometimes destroyed these priceless artifacts. Challenging popular notions that manuscripts were exclusively created by monks and only discussed religious matters, Wellesley brings to life often forgotten authors, scribes, artists, and benefactors--many of whom were women, people of color, and laypeople of ordinary means. Describing in rich but jargon-free detail the manuscript life cycle from the arduous (and smelly) process of creating animal skin parchment to the addition of marginalia (annotations added by book owners--including Henry VIII), Wellesley reveals the unique stories and astonishing physical and intellectual labor behind each manuscript. Also captivating are accounts of serendipitous discoveries of several manuscripts as well as the accidental or purposeful destruction of others. VERDICT Wellesley's elegant voice and careful pacing allow listeners to absorb the many details, and warm delivery of the "human stories" that "smudge" the manuscripts make this a delightful listening experience for history buffs and book lovers.--Beth Farrell