Table of Contents

Contents: Part One: The Mediterranean Heritage: The first single-quire Coptic codices; The first multi-quire Coptic codices; Late Coptic codices; The Ethiopian codex; The Islamic codex; Byzantine codices; Part Two: The Medieval Codex in the Western World: Carolingian bindings; Romanesque bindings; Gothic bindings; Limp bindings; Bibliography; Index.

About the Author

Professor J.A.Szirmai spent twenty years in medical research before becoming a professional designer bookbinder and later a scholar in the history of binding techniques.

Reviews

'Dr Szirmai has filled gap of long standing in the history of the book. No comprehensive study of medieval bookbinding structure exists and certainly not one that is so detailed and wide ranging... An excellent and extensive bibliography and a detailed index contribute to making this a first-rate work of reference... above all, this is the sort of book that is only produced once in a generation, if that often. All book historians owe Dr Szirmai an enormous debt of gratitude for having written it.’ The Library ’While comparisons are not possible with a book which stands alone in its scope and scrupulous presentation of its material, it can be said that more than anything published so far in this field, it stands as a statement of what is currently known of the subject... a mine of information, much of which is either available nowhere else or in journals or languages not accessible to any but the most dedicated researchers. It deserves to be on the shelves of any individual or institution that concerns itself with the medieval book.’ Nicholas Pickwood, TLS '... a book literally without peer... It is this passionate interest that has enabled (Szirmai) to assemble this remarkable history...' Papers of the Bibliographical Society of America ’Le ’Szirmai’ sera incontournable pour tout étudiant manuscrit.’ Veronika von Büren, Aevum '... a work of great scholarship.' Bookbinder ’... [a] major contribution to the study of bookbinding... Szirmai’s book [...] is the first to offer a comprehensive account of binding structures; from sewing, through edge trimming, to fastenings and furnishings... The detail, like the coverage, is astonishing... an absolute must for any library concerned with the art, history, and science of the book.’ ARLIS ’Every book restorer should be familiar with the knowledge in The Archaeology of Medieval Bookbinding... It should be available to every book restorer as an indispensable handbook... The book is a standar