Customer Reviews

The Bayeux Tapestry

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4 star:		(1)
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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.

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.

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.

Perhaps the most famous tapestry of the western world, the 1000 year old, 230 feet long, Bayeux Tapestry is housed in a museum in Bayeux, Normandy. Embroidered in brightly colored wools, the Bayeux Tapestry portrays the complete story of the invasion of England by William of Normandy which was hallmarked by the Norman victory over the Anglo-Saxon English under King Harold at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. Now in a new edition, the complete tapestry is reproduced in full color over 146 pages. Captions on a fold-out page allow for easy reference, while a second black & white reproduction offers detailed accompanying commentary. Perfect as a Memorial Fund Acquisition selection, no college or community library collection can be considered complete without the inclusion of David M. Wilson's The Bayeux Tapestry from Thames & Hudson.

Beautiful, extraordinary and definitive. No other survey of the tapestry presents reproductions of such size, quality and detail. The color is vibrant, the individual stitches are visible, every detail is clearly shown. There are more modern texts on the subjects (though Wilson's holds up well), but there is no more visually important book on the subject -- and a bargain, to boot.

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.

Having read Carola Hicks' The Bayeux Tapestry: The Life Story of a Masterpiece, I was intrigued enough---hungry enough--to explore the topic further. The Hicks book offered some small, tantalizing colored plates that captured my interest, so I searched on Amazon for a book that could show me the tapestry in larger, more robust detail and as much of it as is possible in a printed text. I wanted a portable, but sturdy item appropriate for genuine study for this enigmatic work of art. I was most interested in a product that could give me a detailed look at the "Isti mirant(ur) stellam / The men marvel at the star" portion of the Tapestry--where the star is thought to be Halley's Comet, an omen. This is one of my favorite aspects.

My search included the book by David M. Wilson featured on this page. I read the publisher's notes and the reviews, and then I decided to buy it. Talk about a great out-of box-experience---when the book arrived, I was actually surprised by its size, quality, and organization. The dust cover shows a ship with such compelling details that you can recognize the texture in the image; you literally want to reach out and feel the ship. This is just a fantastic teaser for what lies inside the covers of this treasure.

The photography of this work proves to be its most dynamic, endearing feature, and the viewer can truly experience the beauty and majesty of the Tapestry in a highly personal way that other sources don't seem to match....including the Internet. In fact, the only thing better than this book maybe viewing the real tapestry itself! LOL However, the book is a lot cheaper than a trip to France, and one doesn't have to wait in line to get to the next panel / scene! With the images in your own hands, you can gaze for as long as you like; you can observe each figure and the various signals that move the story's direction along... almost like a medieval PowerPoint presentation. You can see areas of repair, areas of damage, areas where panels are joined, areas that remind you that this Tapestry was a product of human hands and spirit. Page 196 of this book even gives a rare glimpse at the back of one scene in the tapestry; the photograph was taken during the 1982-83 cleaning and remounting.

The book explains its quality with its opening Note on Photography [quoted]: "The colour pictures of the Tapestry are reproduced with the special authorization of the Town of Bayeux. The scale of reproduction is approximately fifty-four percent of the original. The photographs were taken by natural light when the Tapestry was removed from its case. When on public display, it is viewed through glass which slightly changes the colour values." // An Amazon reviewer mentioned 58% for size, and another reviewer spoke of 55%, so I am thinking maybe there is a different earlier edition of this book? I cannot speak to that--but only to the product I have it hand. So, before selecting this product, you may wish to read other reviewers and learn of other possible choices if available.

The book's content is easy to follow and packaged in a way conducive for serious study of The Bayeux Tapestry:

Foreward by M. Jean Le Carpentier, Mayor of Bayeux

Preface, David M. Wilson / The British Museum, March 1985

Introduction: A Work of Art and An Historical Document

Map of South-East England and North-West France in 1066.

The Tapestry [a wonderful collection of vibrant colored images]

Other sections: I. Inscriptions; II. The Commentary; III. The Story Told in the Tapestry; IV. Style, Art and Form; V. Buildings, Dress and Objects; Notes; Index.

I am most satisfied with this book, and I am able to study my favored "comet scene" thoroughly in generous colored pages. An exciting feature appears on page 15: a Partial Family Tree of English and Norman Ruling Families; the names of those members who are represented in the Tapestry are typed in bold. Another feature I like in this book is the large, dark, clear font in the written passages, which is helpful to eyeglass wearers such as my self. It's easy to navigate to various sections --comparing / contrasting colored plates to commentary. Interestingly enough, it makes a fun companion to Hicks' book or to other scholarly books that delve deeper into the subject. I highly recommend this product for those who enjoy history, literature, and art as interests / hobbies, but also for those who teach British / European history, literature, and art. (The lessons for critical thinking and observation are nearly endless with the Tapestry!) This book would make a fine edition to any high school / college library or classroom. It makes a nice gift for the book lover in your family. It's a huge slice of quality for the price.

**Note: This faithful product offers the Tapestry's nature in its unedited / uncensored form, which means the "nude" portions / characters that shocked the Victorian audiences are intact in this photographic collection. Certain parts of the Tapestry may not be appropriate for the eyes of very young children.

The stitching is easy to see, the colors look good, the book looks good on a shelf (although it is a tall book because of the large pictures); it is all around everything the needleworker needs in a reference at an amazingly good price. With large color photos of the entire tapestry it is possible to recreate any part of it. The tapestry is also an interesting historical record of the time period from hairstyle, costume, and eating to warfare and death (note the dismembered body parts). I especially like the depiction of Haley's comet.

This book reproduces every panel of the Tapestry in a large enough size to inspect the fine details of the work. It has been wonderful having the pictures so I can compare them with descriptions and explanations in other printed works. I really love it.

I took a chance and ordered this though one person warned against it - I think they were mistaken. This large, heavy book contains every inch of the embroidery reproduced in realistic full color, and the pictures are over 12 inches high! I can make out not only the stitches but the quality and condition of the linen itself - as a needleworker I had feared being able to view it in a book only as a historical artifact, but now I can see it as a work of art and examine the stitching in detail. A tiny bonus is a single black-and-white photograph of one of the panels from the back - and it is quite as expressive as the front.

There is no part of the tapestry you can't get a good look at - when turning the page you will find a small amount of overlap so that nothing is cut off, and the pages lie flat so you don't miss anything in the center crease. Wonderful quality.

Besides the color plates themselves, the book contains:

- an introduction outlining the history of the tapestry itself;

- a foldout quick-guide listing what is happening on each plate;

- another quick guide translating the Latin into English;

- a smaller black-and-white reproduction paired with a more in-depth commentary explaining the Tapestry's contents panel by panel;

- several pages of historical background to the events depicted in the panels;

- two illustrated multi-page essays on what we can learn about Anglo-Saxon and Norman contemporary culture from examining the tapestry.

If you want a thorough historical analysis of the BT, this isn't it, though it can be a good introduction for newcomers or needleworkers who don't know the political background of this most famous piece of embroidery. If it's history you want, various textbooks exist, but what good is reading about the Bayeux Tapestry without being able to get a good look at it? Buy any other textbooks in addition, but do not fail to start with this book. It's written by a scholar, so even though he doesn't go into the depth that a textbook could, what he does write is pertinent and well-reasoned. The average non-historian lay reader will find it more than adequate.

If I had even a small quibble with the edition, it would be that the Latin-to-English translation could have gone on the same page with the plates themselves, within the strip of white space along the bottom that is reserved for page numbers. There's plenty of room and it would be nice to thumb through the plates and glance down at the 'subtitles' below. But that's a small thing. We're lucky to have such a treasure at such an affordable price; at twice the price it would still be a bargain.