BIBLIOGRAPHY

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These books are recommended--or warned against--by members of the group.

Arms & Armor

Heath, Ian. Illustrated by Angus McBride. The Vikings (Osprey Elite 3).

A sample of the British-written Elite series, which are larger and more specific books than the companion Man-At-Arms series. They are designed for gamers and modelers, not scholars, and feature neither notes nor bibliography. Still, they are good introductions, on a vast range of subjects--FRTh

Siddorn, Kim. Viking Weapons and Warfare.

Authoritative book by Regia's founder, with many phonographs of Regia events as well--FRTh

Wise, Terence. Illustrated by G. A. Embleton. Saxon, Viking and Norman (Osprey Men-at-Arms 85).

A sample of the extensive, British-written Man-at-Arms series. They are designed for gamers and modelers, not scholars, and feature neither notes nor bibliography. Still, they are good introductions, on a vast range of subjects. This volume covers Regia's period well--FRTh

Art

Alexander, J. J. G. (ed.). Insular Manuscripts: 6th to the 9th Century.

Vol. 1 of "Survey of Manuscripts Illuminated in the British Isles," with an introduction, 354 illustrations and a detailed catalog--BBH

Backhouse, Janet. The Lindisfarne Gospels.

All major decorated pages and several representative canon and text pages, along with a comparison with other Celtic art--BBH

Bain, George. Celtic Art: The Methods of Construction.

Basic work on Celtic knotwork, keywork, etc, first published in 1951--BBH

Bayeux Tapestry, The.

A primary primary source. Available in various sizes and editions, both in color and monotone, the larger and more accurate a reproduction you can find, the better. Note that some persons decry using it for primary documentation, citing artistic liberties such as the color of horses. For the most part, it is easy to distinguish between what is a fairly faithful observation and artistic interpretation--FRTh

Benson, John H. & A. G. Carey. Elements of Lettering.

Good book of history & technique for experienced calligraphers. Most scripts are illustrated with no further instruction. The Rotunda is beautiful--BBH

Bridgeford, Andrew. 1066: The Hidden History In The Bayeux Tapestry.

Fascinating examination of the history, technique and meaning of the Bayeux Tapestry--FRTh

Dodwell, C. R. Anglo-Saxon Art. A New Perspective.

The title is deceptive as it covers: Art survivals and written sources. Anglo-Saxon tastes. Artists and Craftsmen in Anglo-Saxon England. Painting and carving. Textiles. Costume and vestments. Jewellery, silver and gold. Anglo-Saxon Art and the Norman Conquest. In my opinion, it is one of the best books that I have read on the period--Hazel Uzzell

Drogin, Marc. Medieval Calligraphy: Its History and Techniques.

A perfect balance of history and technique. Reproduces period examples and explains what to look for. Half the plates have transcriptions. Available in an inexpensive Dover reprint--BBH

Henry, Francoise (ed.). The Book of Kells: Reproductions.

Coffee-table book in a slipcase, with color plates reproducing major illuminations, followed by an historical article--BBH

Johnston, Edward. Writing & Illuminating & Lettering.

The first and one of the most consistently revered "bibles" of the art--BBH

Nordenfalk, Carl. Celtic and Anglo-Saxon Painting.

Introductory article on book illumination in the British Isles during the 7th through 9th centuries, with color plates and commentary--BBH

Shepherd, Margaret. Learning Calligraphy.

The book I recommend to all beginners. Only five alphabets are studied, but each is examined in depth--BBH

Svaren, Jacqueline. Written Letters: 22 Alphabets for Calligraphers.

Little basic instruction, but graceful, accurate interpretations of modern and historical scripts--BBH

Temple, Elzibeta. Anglo-Saxon Manuscripts, 900-1066.

Vol. 2 of "Survey of Manuscripts Illuminated in the British Isles," with a short introduction, 370 illustrations and a detailed catalog of 106 manuscripts--BBH

Watson, Aldren A. Hand Bookbinding: A Manual of Instruction.

A good book. The illustrations are so clear you almost don't have to read the text--BBH

Weitzmann, Kurt. Late Antique and Early Christian Book Illumination.

Survey. This period had mostly pictorial instead of abstract decoration--BBH

Whalley, Joyce Irene. The Student's Guide to Western Calligraphy.

The emphasis is on script, but there are examples of simple illumination--BBH

Biography

Brown, Peter. Augustine of Hippo.

One of Norman Cantor's Short List

Blacksmithing, Woodworking & Practical Arts

Bealer, Alex W. The Art of Blacksmithing.

Good beginning blacksmithing book--includes some armor and weapons making--J&J

Chinnery, Victor. Oak Furniture: the British Tradition.

Covers all types of furniture very well, though from a British, present in Britain, or affecting British furniture making perspective. This is an excellent work, profusely illustrated and footnoted, and the discussion reflects the best of modern scholarship and resources--JPD

Diehl, Daniel. Constructing Medieval Furniture.

A practical guide with historical notes --Dd.

Fleming, James Evans. The Blacksmith's Source Book.

Excellent bibliography on the history of Blacksmithing. Annotated source to 300 works--J&J

Mould, Quita, Ian Carlisle and Esther Cameron, Leather and Leatherworking in Anglo-Scandinavian and Medieval York

One of the phenomenal books from the York Archaeological Trust, showing finds from excavations in York, plans and small essays on the craft. This one features belts, scabbards, shoes and much else. They're relatively pricey but well worth it!--FRTh

ThOates, Phyllis. The Story of Western Furniture.

An overview of European furniture styles and usages--JPD

Cookery

Tannahill, Reay. Food in History.

An overview of culinary history. No recipes but plenty of information--FRTh Often this can't provide adequate coverage because there's simply too much to cover--JlL

Wilson, C. Anne. Food & Drink in Britain.

If you want to know when and how ingredients or foods were first used, Wilson is the first place to look. Probably the most valuable reference book in English cooker--JlL

Costumery

Boucher, Francois. 20,000 Years of Fashion.

A good overview of historical costuming, handicapped by its scope but containing a wealth of primary illustrations--FRTh

Brooks, Iris. Various titles.

            AVOID.

Burnham, D. Cut My Cote.

            Informative.

Crowfoot et al. Textiles and Clothing.

For serious costume nuts--NB

Cunnington, Cecil Willett and Phillis. Handbook of English Medieval Costume.

According to some SCA costumers, Cunnington is the single most valuable source for costumery--JlL

Ewing, Thor. Viking Costume.

Overview of aspects of Norse clothing, drawing from earlier sources, archaeological investigation and the author's own conclusions--FRTh

Norris, Herbert. Costume and Fashion: v 2--Senlac to Bosworth.

Deals with the very end of the period covered by Regia. A standard work with many patterns and illustrations. Because illustrations are redrawn from primary sources, care should be taken when using the book--FRTh

Norris, Herbert. Costume and Fashion: v 1--Through the Earlier Ages.

A standard work with many patterns and illustrations. Because illustrations are redrawn from primary sources, care should be taken when using the book--FRTh

Nurman, Britta, Carl Schulze and Torsten Verhulsdonk. The Vikings Recreated in Colour Photographs. Europa Militaria #16.

Color photographs of Viking reenactors, a delightful hybrid of fact and supposition--FRTh

Owen-Crocker, Gail. Dress in Anglo-Saxon England, Second Edition.

Excellent source on the details of Anglo-Saxon costume. Minimally useful as practical guide as most of the information is aimed at researching the entire kit. Highly recommended!--AHW

Wagner, Eduard. Zoroslava Drobna and Jan Durdik. Medieval Costume, Armour and Weapons.

Use this book with caution. It is mainly re-drawings from medieval manuscripts. A contemporary review of the original German book stated that the authors were obviously not costumers, so I would recommend using it only as a starting point--KS

Wilcox, Ruth Turner Wilcox. Various Titles.

Stay Away--NB

General

Almgren, Bertil (editor). The Viking.

Large-format and heavily illustrated coffee-table book that tells a lot about Viking culture and how certain things--for example, the loom and the turtle broaches--were accomplished. Expensive and outdated in some areas, but well worth it if you have an interest in things Norse and are willing to check on statements--FRTh

Anderson, Jay. Time Machines: The World of Living History.

The seminal work about living history in all its aspects. The chapter on the SCA is "Princes Valiant"--FRTh

Aries, Philippe and Georges Duby (eds.). A History of Private Life Vol. II.

Good book for an understanding of medieval times and people. Good pictures--CdC

Baker, Alan. The Viking.

A modern and imaginative interpretation of Viking culture that harkens back to the worst Victorian romanticism. No notes, no real bibliography (just a list of other secondary and tertiary sources). AVOID!--FRTh

Baldwin, John W. The Scholastic Culture of the Middle Ages, 1000-1300.

Deals with the end of Regia's period. On Stephen Silver's Medieval Universities Bibliography.

Boswell, John. The Kindness of Strangers: The Abandonment of Children in Western Europe from Late Antiquity to the Renaissance .

This book is not nearly as grim as the title suggests. The author argues that abandonment usually did not mean death, that children who could not be supported in one family usually found their way into families who wanted and needed them. Extraordinarily well written--FdT.

Boswell, John. Same Sex Unions in Premodern Europe.

Well-documented, gay-friendly (Boswell was gay and died of AIDS) recounting of hushed-up tolerance of earlier Christianity--FRTh

Brehaut, Ernest (Trans.). An Encyclopedist of the Dark Ages.

On Stephen Silver's Medieval Universities Bibliography.

Byock, Jesse. Viking Age Iceland.

An intensely vibrant and interesting view of Icelandic culture during the Free State--FRTh

ThCarnes, Mark (ed.). Past Imperfect: History According to the Movies.

A collection of articles contrasting the view of history presented by cinema and by reality--FRTh

Dyer, Christopher, Making a Living in the Middle Ages: The People of Britain 850-1520

A good book on everyday life, but it unfortunately covers such a wide period of time that it is often cursory. Nevertheless, a good place to start--FRTh

Erdoes, Richard, A.D. 1000: Living on the Brink of Apocalypse

At first glance, yet another book about the turn of the First Millennium, but actually written some twelve years before and brought back into print for the Y2K scare. The subtitle pretty much describes the theme of the book--FRTh

Fischer, David Hackett. Historians Fallacies.

I cannot recommend this book enough. Just a cursory glance will change the way any reader looks at sources, historians and logic--SdF

ThFitzHugh, William W. and Elizabeth I. Ward (eds.). Vikings: The North Atlantic Saga.

A series of articles on aspects of Viking territorial expansionism, with appendices on representations of Vikings in popular culture and Viking reenacting, among other subject. Based on the traveling museum exhibit--FRTh

Fraser, George MacDonald. The Hollywood History of the World.

A contrasst of the view of history presented by cinema and by reality, written by the author of the Flashman books and the screenwriterr of the Richard Lester Three Musketeers and Four Musketeers.

Girouard, Mark. The Return to Camelot: Chivalry and the English Gentleman.

Account on the Victorian medieval revival inspired by such writers as Scott, events as the Eglinton tourney and other aspects of popular culture, until its doom in the First Worl War--FRTh

Howarth, David.Th 1066: The Year of the Conquest.

Gloriously opinionated book that also covers everyday life in pre-Conquest Britain—FRTh

Hunawalt, Barbara A. The Ties That Bound: Peasant Families in Medieval England.

Strictly speaking, outside the realm of Regia, but a peasant's lifestyle remained the same for centuries. An entertaining and unique examination of common folk in the Middle Ages, relying to a great extent upon coroners' roll. Sometimes macabre but always illuminating. Recommended--FRTh

James, Peter and Nick Thorpe. Ancient Inventions.

A collection of inventions or innovations, how they were discovered and how much earlier they existed than commonly supposed--FRTh

Koenigsberger. Medieval Europe, 400-1500

This is a real winner--AdH

ThLabarge, Margaret Wade. Small Sound of the Trumpet.

On medieval women--NB

Lacey, Rovert and Danny Danziher, The Year 1000: What Life Was Like at the Turn of the First Millennium

Not really a cautionary tale comparing the turn of the First Millennium with the then-upcoming turn of the Second, but a good look at everyday life using the Julius Work Calendar as the internal theme. Dealing specifically with England--FRTh

Leahy, Kevin. Anglo-Saxon Crafts: Revealing History.

This accessible volume addresses different crafts practiced by the Anglo-Saxons, including woodworking, leatherworking, pottery and textiles. Looking at surviving artifacts, Leahy comments on construction and technology--FRTh

ThLogan, Robert K.. The Alphabet Effect.

A thought-provoking book examining the difference results phonetic and ideogrammatic scripts impose on their cultures--BBH

Margeson, Susan. Viking.

If you want to know a basic overview about something, find a kid's book. Kids have an avid sense of curiosity, and they don't accept the bullshit that adults sometimes seem willing to put up with. This is an Eyewitness book, and volumes consist of photographs of pertinent items both authentic and replica with a minimum of explanatory text. The opportunity to actually see the items in question, not merely to be told about it, is a welcome and edifying experience--FRTh

Magnusson, Magnus. Iceland Saga.

Iceland is a fascinating culture, and this book very neatly and succinctly retells its history--FRTh

Magnusson, Magnus. Vikings.

Companion to the television series, a good overview of the Viking era, profusely illustrated and engagingly written Later editions are slightly rewritten, less profusely illustrated but still well written--FRTh

Mercer, Eric. Furniture: 700-1700.

An overview of the development of furniture, with many excellent illustrations, both from primary sources and of the pieces themselves--FRTh

Powell, T.G.E. The Celts.

On Stephen Silver's Barbarian Bibliography

Roberts, Clayton and David A History of England, Prehistory to 1714.

A hellishly good textbook, well illustrated--SdF

Schama, Seven. A History of Britain Volume One.

A companion volume to the television series, brilliantly illustrated and audaciously written

ThSkurlock, William H. The Book of Buckskinning II.

Although directed toward early American reenactors, all of the Books of Buckskinning (seven volumes so far) contain articles of interest to reenactors from many time periods, including medieval. Book II is of special interest because of an article on constructing camp equipment. Highly recommended--FRTh

Wahlgren, Erik. The Vikings and America.

Well-researched book on the controversial subject--FRTh

Wallace-Hadrill, John Michael. The Barbarian West, 400-1000.

On Stephen Silver's Barbarian Bibliography.

Music

Robertson, Alec and Denis Stevens (ed.). The Penguin History of Music, Vol. I.

Ancient forms to polyphony. Focuses on the development of music, mostly ecclesiastical, from plainsong to polyphony, ending around 1450. Keep a music dictionary nearby when you read this--GM

Names

Dunkling, Leslie & William Gosling. Everyman's Dictionary of First Names.

Not a primary source but still a good jumping-off point--FRTh

Geirr Bassi Haraldsson. The Old Norse Name.

A booklet designed for Marklanders (Norse reenactors) with names, sources and construction techniques--FRTh

O'Corrain, Donnchadh & Fidelma Maguire. Gaelic Personal Names

Reany. A Dictionary of British surnames.

The book on English surnames, not exactly a list and not exactly a treatise--FRTh

Smith, Elsdon C. New Dictionary of American Family Names.

Contains a lot of information of value to medievalists--FRTh

Withycombe, E.G. The Oxford Dictionary of English Christian Names.

A reliable and standard source for English personal names, with citations from primary sources--FRTh

Yonge, Charlotte M. A History of Christian Names.

A dated but still fairly reliable source for personal names across a variety of cultures--FRTh

Primary

Garbaty, Thomas. J. Medieval English Literature.

History good. Text in original & translation. Good for learning period English--CdC

Geoffrey of Monmouth. History of the Kings of Britain.

The fantastic history of Britain, often referred to but little read, source of the Arthurian legends and a damned fun read. Trans. Sebastian Evans--FRTh

Hollander, Lee (trans). The Poetic Edda.

I prefer this translation to Auden's more famous translation, but your tastes may vary--FRTh

Kennedy, Charles William (Trans.). Beowulf: The Oldest English Epic.

An essential early English epic, which remains exciting and interesting today. Available in many translations, this is recommended--FRTh Uneven--SdF

Magnusson, Magnus & Hermann Palsson (Trans,). Njal's Saga.

Probably the best known of the Norse sagas--FRTh

Ross, James B. & Mary M. McLaughlin (eds.). The Portable Medieval Reader.

A treasure trove--GM. A rich and varied collection of period writings--FRTh

Theopholis. On Diverse Arts.

Has done great things for numerous people in metalworking and such--DB

Thorsson, Ornolfur (ed.). The Sagas of the Icelanders. Viking: 2000.

A collection of translations by various persons of sagas and Thaettir, with valuable notes and appendixes. The sagas are indispensable reading, and this is a rich and meaty collection. The names of the actual editors are hidden, and the name of novelist Jane Smiley--the author of the depressing The Greenlanders and author of the preface--is displayed more prominently than the name of the editor.--FRTh