This book is concerned with England's engagement with continental Europe, especially France and Normandy, from 1066 until around 1200. It is based primarily on a close scrutiny of the texts, script and decoration of the surviving manuscripts, a wide range of which are illustrated here. It charts the transformation of the perceived view of England as isolated on the geographical and intellectual periphery of Europe to a position of crucial importance within the wider European community.Adapted and expanded from Rodney Thompson's Lyell Lectures delivered at Oxford University in 2001, this...