The Bayeux Tapestry [Hardcover]

David M. Wilson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 2004

The Bayeaux Tapestry is unique both as a historical document and as a work of art. It was made soon after the Battle of Hastings in 1066, and it tells the story of the events that led up to William the Conqueror's invasion of England and the battle itself.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Not long after the Norman invasion of England and the Battle of Hastings in 1066, needleworkersprobably Englishcreated an embroidered strip of linen, 231 feet in length, depicting the battle and the political maneuvering that led up to it. The Bayeux Tapestry, as it is now called, is unique as a pictorial chronicle of these events. While its freize-like style is often compared to a cartoon strip, the wall hanging reveals naturalistic artistry and shows vivid details of daily life, of food and furniture, ships and armor in medieval times. This elegant, slipcased volume, adorned with gold-leaf lettering and attractive endpapers, is the first full and accurate color reproduction of the entire embroidery. The original running commentary in Latin has been duly translated, essays give historical background, and a pull-out section of captions enables readers to follow the sometimes confusing story. BOMC selection. October 30
Copyright 1985 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

The Bayeux Tapestry, a major monument of medieval art and history, is an embroidered linen panel 70 meters long which portrays the events of the Norman conquest of England, culminating in the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The bulk of this new publication consists of a series of excellent color photographs of the entire tapestry, taken when it was re-hung in 1983. Wilson's text is largely a summary of the voluminous scholarship that has focused on various aspects of the tapestry over the years, but it is dry, oddly organized, and difficult to understand unless one is familiar with the period and the issues being summarized. However, high school students and general readers may be attracted simply by the illustrations, while those with more scholarly interests will be better able to follow the text. Kathryn W. Finkelstein, formerly with Georgia Inst. of Technology Lib., Atlanta
Copyright 1985 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 234 pages
• Publisher: Thames & Hudson (April 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0500251223
• ISBN-13: 978-0500251225
• Product Dimensions: 13.8 x 10.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #690,075 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

58 of 59 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Actually, this IS a faithful reprint of the 1985 book..., April 1, 2004

By 

An Historian (Boston, MA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Bayeux Tapestry (Hardcover)

This is indeed a faithful reprint of Wilson's superb 1985 survey of the Bayeux Tapestry. (The previous reviewer mistook his numbers. The original book was 13.6 inches, reproducing the tapestry at about 55% scale. 13.6 inches IS 34 centimeters. Double that would be over 27 inches, larger than the actual tapestry.)

The original book was prohibitively expensive even when new, and has sold used for astronomical sums. We are fortunate indeed that Thames & Hudson has decided to reissue the book, with superb, large plates, at such a reasonable price. A few glitzy touches have been sacrificed, such as the slipcase, gold-embossed cover and decorative endpapers. But the book itself is as good as ever.

The first section shows the entire tapestry in vivid color and crisp detail, fine enough to see the individual stitches, at more than half-scale. Smaller, black-and-white images accompany a detailed description of the people and events depicted. A full translation of all the latin texts is included. So, too, are excellent essays on the history behind the tapestry, and the history and artistic context of the tapestry itself.

Simply put, this is THE definitive book on a major piece of history. Highly recommended.

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The next best thing to visiting the tapestry in Bayeux, October 24, 2000

By 

"thepalindrome" (Berkeley) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Bayeux Tapestry (Hardcover)

If you are at all familiar with the Bayeux Tapestry, which is a staggering masterpiece, then this may sound incredible, but this book does it full justice. I can not get over my amazement and my feeling of being incredibly lucky to have discovered a book that reproduces the entire work-all 70 meters-in plates large enough to show fine details of the embroidery stitching (invaluable for the historical needleworker!), in what I believe (or at least devoutly hope) is faithful color. You don't miss anything at the edge of each page because an inch or so of the edge of each plate is reproduced on the next. The author wisely saved the historical and cultural explanations for another section of the book, allowing each plate to fill a full page. The historical explanations are printed in the last third of the book (the first two thirds being given entirely to the color plates) under a small black-and-white reproduction of the tapestry which is marked with plate numbers so that you can easily refer back to the large color reproduction. The author's commentary is very readable, and he sometimes demonstrates dry, British wit. The book also includes a stylistic analysis of the tapestry, and, with the aid of photographs, dicusses artifacts similar to those depicted.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful, but stuffy, September 24, 2004

By 

history nerdling (West Virginia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Bayeux Tapestry (Hardcover)

The Bayeaux Tapestry is a gorgeous work of art that has great historical importance. This book does it full justice. The first section is simply the tapestry itself, with a pullout section of brief explanations of each scene. This allows you to look at the work itself and appreciate its beauty and craftsmanship and to form your own opinions and interpretations. (By the way, the photographs are so good you think you can reach into the page and feel the stitching.)

Following this are translations of the Latin inscriptions, further explanations of the story and explorations of the artistic and historic significance of the tapestry. The author's language gets a bit technical in the latter sections, but with the help of a basic dictionary are easy to understand. Even without looking up the scholarly words, one can appreciate what the author is saying.

I highly recommend this book. More than worth the price.