"Lay readers and undergraduates will enjoy this learned and passionate exploration of the beauty, importance, and technical skills associated with Western medieval manuscripts. Charles accomplishes the latter in chapters explaining the procurement and preparation of parchment, the formulation and application of inks, the development of scripts, and the binding of folios into codices. Over three-dozen color illustrations appear throughout the text, as do a multitude of two-tone maps and figures. A narrative outline of text production in the classical era segues into chapters on the Middle Ages. Clearly explained is the importance of books in spreading Christianity, which established and solidified ties between monastic communities and, from a scribe's perspective, the copying of texts as a devotional act. Readers unfamiliar with the medieval period will learn about women as religious and lay scribes and the importance of Iberian/Sicilian Muslim and Jewish scholars in the revival of learning in the twelfth century. Some key points include the establishment of universities, the growth of lay literacy (and the consequent commercialization of scribal work), and the demise of handwritten text after the invention of movable type. Recommended.

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