A delightful book I've been savouring over several months: Meetings with Remarkable Manuscripts[1]. Let's hear from the abstract: "[...] The idea for the book

A delightful book I've been savouring over several months: Meetings with Remarkable Manuscripts[1]. Let's hear from the abstract: "[...] 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." - - - Don't let the page count (~550, modulo references) discourage you. The hardcover edition absolutely enhances the reading experience—it's beautifully bound, has plenty of pictures of medieval manuscripts, calligraphic exemplars and more. (I've mentioned it previously here[2].) [1] https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/213/213069/meetings-with-remarkable-manuscripts/9780141977492.html https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/213/213069/meetings-with-rem... [2] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20332914 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20332914