The text of the original has been revised throughout to take account of the enormous amount of new research following publication of the first edition. The introduction discusses the history of literacy up to the present day; the guide to further reading brings together over 300 new titles up to 1992. In this second edition there are substantially new sections on bureaucracy, sacred books, writing materials, the art of memory, ways of reading (particularly for women), the writing of French, and the relationship of script, imagery and seals.

    A young refugee Saxon princess, 24 years old when she arrived north of the border, she gained the throne of Scotland and tamed her wild and warlike people. Single handed, she changed the nation's destiny and won their lasting love.

    Enormous fun to read.--The Washington Post.

    400 to 1500, masterfully selected and complete with a comprehensive introduction and new preface.

    City, Castle, Cathedral: An Introduction to Architecture [City: A Story of Roman Planning and Construction; Castle; Cathedral: The Story of Its Construction]