In the course of a long career at Sotheby's and at Cambridge University, Christopher de Hamel has probably seen and catalogued more medieval manuscripts than anyone alive, and his delight and enthusiasm run through all he writes. He is the author of many books, translated into numerous languages, including A History of Illuminated Manuscripts, The Book in the Cathedral, and Meetings with Remarkable Manuscripts, which won both the Duff Cooper Prize and the Wolfson History Prize. He is a Fellow of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge.
Reading the Posthumous Papers is like taking a walk in excellent
company ... an exceptional book, and itself an object worth
cherishing.
*Sunday Telegraph*
This book can be enjoyed on so many levels. The illustrations are
exquisite and the writing ... is intelligent, illuminating,
voluptuous and mischievous. The members of the club are brought to
life with sensitivity; we can't help but find their nerdiness
endearing. ... The most delightful feature of this book is,
however, the author. I've never encountered one so willing to bare
his soul, without ever explicitly setting out to do so. He throws
open the doors to his world, exposing its beguiling nature. Sit at
my table, he says, feast on what I adore. "The Club is still open
for membership . . . All applicants are warmly admitted."'
*The Times*
In this stunningly beautiful book, Christopher de Hamel constructs
an imaginary club of people who adore mediaeval manuscripts;
bibliophiles whose obsession he shares. The 12 delightfully
eccentric members span eight centuries - de Hamel imagines meeting
them, sharing precious discoveries, trading gossip. The
illustrations emit a light of their own, but what shines even
brighter is the author's boyish enthusiasm for his subject.
*Times Books of the Year*
a beautifully produced and magnificently surprising journey through
the history of how and why people have wanted to collect
manuscripts. An impossibly recondite subject, you might think; but
it turns out to have a lot to do with all sorts of things about how
we make sense of our histories and cultures - and it introduces us
to a gallery of unforgettable characters.
*New Statesman Books of the Year*
Christopher de Hamel ... has the rare capacity to turn a scholarly
specialism into a humane and humorous adventure. ... De Hamel
retains an almost lyrical sense of wonder as he unclasps each
groaning tome, opens its parched pages and lightly steps into the
alternative world painted by its illuminators. ... he speaks of
"meeting a beautiful manuscript" rather than reading it and his own
book makes you feel you've spent time - a very long but absorbing
time - in his convivial company.
*Guardian*
Christopher de Hamel's great gift is to tell life stories without
taking anything away from the manuscripts, which remain the star of
the show. Thanks to the beautiful illustrations in this wonderful
book, we can see for ourselves how spellbinding an encounter with
them must have been. Five years ago de Hamel entranced the world
with his Meeting with Remarkable Manuscripts. This time the
meetings are with remarkable manuscript owners, and the result is
equally precious
*Sunday Times*
gloriously engaging and readable ... De Hamel wears his erudition
lightly, and the reader is taken deeply into the worlds of
individuals who lived across almost a thousand years of history
*Financial Times*
The story of the people who created, saved and collected Europe's
most sumptuous manuscripts, it's beautifully illustrated, a rich
feast of scarlet and gold.
*Sunday Times Books of the Year*
an eccentric but charming and instructive book which is oddly
difficult to put down
*Spectator*
The twelve accumulators de Hamel profiles in this delightful book
have, taken together, been responsible for making and preserving
some of the most beautiful and important objects to have survived
the Middle Ages … a joy, both deeply scholarly and wittily humane,
the writing infused throughout with de Hamel’s vast and genial
expertise … a fascinating book
*Literary Review*
De Hamel is the perfect guide to this unusual world … well stocked
with extraordinary facts and overflowing with enthusiasm for his
subject … He welcomes us into the Manuscripts Club, and makes sure
that we never want to leave
*Tablet*
The text is engagingly written, inviting the reader to follow the
author on his travels to study these people in their own
environments … The club is open.
*History Today*
The reader is offered a wealth of information and entertainment …
Here is great learning delivered in a wrapper of Pickwickian
whimsy.
*Church Times*
De Hamel’s infectious tribute to the pages that came before
printing should encourage everyone to join their celebratory
club.
*The Lady*
A remarkable scholarly achievement.
*TLS*
Lively ... De Hamel’s encyclopedic knowledge and irrepressible
enthusiasm for his subject animate the whole.
*Booklist*
Expansive ... De Hamel’s fascination with rare manuscripts shines
throughout ... sure to entertain.
*Publishers Weekly*
Fascinating and multilayered ... dense with facts and dates but
never dry. De Hamel, manuscript consultant for Sotheby's since
1975, is a charming and knowledgeable guide, and his ‘visits’ with
his subjects – tours of their residences or libraries – brings
their obsessions to vivid life ... An impressive immersion in the
storied precincts of art connoisseurship.
*Kirkus Reviews*
Continuously intriguing and surprisingly lively . . . lavishly
illustrated and unfailingly engaging. It is a love letter to
collectors across nearly 10 centuries, written by an expert, imbued
with passion for his subject . . . Once readers look inside, they
will be hooked. In every respect, this title is a winner.
*Library Journal*
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