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Type of bind: Hardcover
Dewey Decimal Number: 746.3944
EAN num: 9780500251225
ISBN number: 0500251223
Label: Thames & Hudson
Manufacturer: Thames & Hudson
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 234
Printing Date: 2004-04
Publishing house: Thames & Hudson
Sale Popularity Level: 198614
Studio: Thames & Hudson
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Editor's Notes and Comments:
Product Description:
A new edition of a classic book: the complete Bayeux Tapestry in colour with an introduction, description, and commentary by a leading authority on the period.
In a museum in the small town of Bayeux in Normandy, specially devised to hold this single object, is a strip of linen nearly one thousand years old. It is 230 feet long and about 20 inches high. On it, embroidered in brightly colored wool, are figures of men, animals, buildings, and ships. In a series of vivid scenes, with a running explanatory text in Latin, it relates the invasion of England by William of Normandy and his victory at the Battle of Hastings in 1066.
Nothing remotely like the Bayeux Tapestry exists anywhere in the world, yet comparatively few people have been to Bayeux to see it and appreciate how totally absorbing it is. This book, very first published in 1985, reproduces the Tapestry in full colour and makes it accessible as never before.
The story told in the Tapestry has all the ingredients of an epic poem, and a cast of characters that includes King Edward the Confessor; his liegeman, Duke Harold; and William, Duke of Normandy. When Edward dies, Harold succeeds him as king. William, who has a better dynastic claim, invades England, and at the Battle of Hastings Harold is defeated and killed. Here the Tapestry breaks off, but it probably originally concluded with William's coronation—the beginning of a sequence of monarchs that has continued virtually unbroken until today, and of the English nation as we know it.
The Tapestry is reproduced in full colour over 146 pages, with captions on a fold-out page for easy reference. A second reproduction of the Tapestry in grey and white has a detailed accompanying commentary. Sir David Wilson, former Director of the British Museum, provides an up-to-date summary of the historical evidence, explaining each episode and covering related topics such as the costumes, armor, ships, buildings, and customs. One of the primary sources for the history of the period, the Tapestry is a social document of incalculable value. It is the sole survivor of an art form that may once have been widespread, the wall-hanging commemorating the deeds of a great man.
User popularity level:
Rated by buyers 
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we were in Bayeux in January, 2008, to see the tapestry and had looked for a book for a souvenir. we waited to get back to the states and this was perfect. it has beautiful pictures and lots of information about the source of the tapestry. we were very pleased.
Rated by buyers -
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 colour 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.
Rated by buyers 
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The Bayeaux Tapestry is a gorgeous work of art that has great historical importance. This book does it full justice. The very 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.
Rated by buyers -
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 colour over 146 pages. Captions on a fold-out page allow for easy reference, while a second grey & 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.
Rated by buyers -
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 very first section shows the entire tapestry in vivid colour 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.
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