The British Library houses one of the world's greatest collections of illuminated manuscripts, and Janet Backhouse has drawn on this rich resource to make a selection of outstanding examples that span over 800 years of medieval book production. She begins with the Lindisfarne Gospels and continues with a representative cross-section that reveals the remarkable variety and richness to be found in medieval manuscripts. With a concise introductory text and informative captions, this is the perfect introduction to an endlessly fascinating subject.