The European book in the twelfth century /

This collection of 18 essays, part of Cambridge's "Studies in Medieval Literature," grew out of a research project and symposium at Leiden University (Netherlands). The project delved into a remarkable period of manuscript innovation in the "long 12th century" (1075--1225), in which Europe experienced a miniature renaissance. Political stability combined with climatic change that yielded longer growing seasons led to a productive period of economic development. This fueled the growth of universities and scholarship that dovetailed with a demand for more manuscripts. The contributors to this volume, many of them noted scholars in medieval studies, cover a wide range of topics. Starting with the streamlining of handmade book production, the essays cover the growth of an intellectual community and literacy; the rise of new disciplines; the reissuing of classical texts as well as the translation of lost or new scientific and medical texts from Greek, Latin, Arabic, and Hebrew; and the start of the writing of works in the vernacular. All of this growth virtually ended in the 13th century with the outbreak of the Black Death. Included also is an extensive bibliography and an index of the manuscripts mentioned. Summing Up: Recommended. Advanced undergraduates and above. --Nora J. Quinlan, Nova Southeastern University