Trained at the Ecole Royale des Chartes at the Sorbonne, Paul Marchegay (1812-1885) was the archivist for the department of Anjou. A native of the area, Marchegay was a member of the Industrial Society of Angers, and dedicated his life to publishing on the region's rich history. The first volume of this work is a collection of exceptional texts by religious and lay authors on the history of the Angevin dynasty during its formative years up to the twelfth century. It also contains the only biography of Geoffrey 'le bel' (Plantagenet) Count of Anjou, by Jean, a twelfth-century monk at Marmoutier, and, most importantly, the only printed version of the Gesta Consulum Andegavorum. The second volume contains notes on the texts in Volume 1 and references to other medieval sources where they are mentioned.