From Memory to Written Record - 3rd Edition by Michael T Clanchy (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

This seminal work of scholarship, which traces the development of literacy in medieval England, is now fully updated in a third edition.

• This book serves as an introduction to medieval books and documents for graduate students throughout the world
• Features a completely re-written first chapter, 'Memories and Myths of the Norman Conquest', and a new postscript by the author reflecting on the reception to the original publication and discussing recent scholarship on medieval literacy
• Includes a revised guide to further reading and a revision of the plates which illustrate medieval manuscripts in detail

From the Back Cover

Michael Clanchy's widely acclaimed history of the written word in the Middle Ages remains a seminal work in the field. Now available in its third edition, it has been updated to include the latest research and to reflect on the development of medieval literacy studies in recent decades.

The book retains its focus on the period from the Norman Conquest of 1066 to the end of Edward I's reign in 1307. During this time, English culture was transformed from an oral to a literate one, in a process that was as important as the later invention of printing. The production and retention of a variety of written records was extended from royal and monastic agencies to much wider forms of everyday business. As charters, writs, and other documents became commonplace, so developed England's literate mentality.

For this third edition the author has revised and expanded the discussion of the culture of literacy that developed in Anglo-Saxon England before the Norman invasion.This book explores medieval literacy in its various forms, including reading strategies, memory, writing materials, and the relationship between script and image. Tracing the rising importance and advancement of writing in medieval life, Clanchy's landmark text continues to be a classic in the field of medieval studies as a whole.

Review Quotes

"Thought-provoking and wide-ranging . . . one can assert confidently that it is one of the most exciting books on medieval English history to appear in recent years." History

"Many familiar assumptions about the medieval world will have to be reconsidered in the light of this book. It is impossible to convey its range or the variety of its implications, but it is possible to insist on its importance." History Today

"Clanchy's work will stand as a remarkable piece of scholarship and as a massive contribution to our understanding of the medieval world." Journal of Library History

Reviews of the second edition:

"Just as 'From Memory to Written Record' was the touchstone for the revolution in the study of medieval literacy and power in the 1980s, the second edition will be a sustaining forece in the continuing revolution of the 1990s'. " Patrick J Geary, University of Notre Dame

"'From Memory to Written Record' is one of the those seminal works that shape the direction of the next generation of historical and social thought. This second edition will remain one of the major works on the medieval world for many decades to come." Norman F Cantor, Late of New York University

Michael Clanchy's widely-acclaimed study of the history of the written word in the Middle Ages remains a classic work in medieval studies. In this third edition Professor Clanchy presents his latest thinking on the subject in a new introduction covering recent work on literacy studies. He has also updated the further reading section and revised the references to take account of recent publications. These changes preserve the coherence of the original argument whilst also ensuring the book remains current for a new generation of scholars and students.

About the Author

Michael Clanchy is Professor Emeritus of Medieval History at the Institute of Historical Research, University of London, and a Fellow of the British Academy. In the 1990s he held interdisciplinary seminars on the significance of literacy at University College London, the Warburg Institute, and the Institute of Historical Research. Before moving to London in 1985, he taught at the University of Glasgow. He is the author of the popular textbook England and its Rulers 1066-1307 (third edition, 2006), and Abelard: A Medieval Life (1997).