The Bayeux Tapestry

The vivid scenes on the Bayeux Tapestry depict the events leading up to the Battle of Hastings in 1066. It is one of Europe's greatest treasures and its own story is full of drama and surprise. Who commissioned the tapestry? Was it Bishop Odo, William's ruthless half-brother? Or Harold's dynamic sister Edith, juggling for a place in the new court? Hicks shows us this world and the miracle of the tapestry's making: the stitches, dyes and strange details in the margins. For centuries, it lay ignored in Bayeux cathedral until its 'discovery' in the eighteenth century. It became a symbol of power as well as art: townsfolk saved it during the French Revolution; Napoleon displayed it to promote his own conquest; the Nazis strove to make it their own; and its influence endures today. This marvellous book, packed with thrilling stories, shows how we remake history in every age and how a great work of art has a life of its own.

ISBN 0099450194   Pages 368 ISBN13 9780099450191 (What's this?)   Volumes 1 Publisher Vintage   Weight (grammes) 312 Imprint Vintage   Published in London Format Paperback   Height (mm) 199 Publication date 01 Mar 2007   Width (mm) 131 DEWEY 746.3944   Spine width (mm) 25 DEWEY edition DC22   Academic level General

" I was bowled over... It is a book full of page-turning vignettes." - Simon Young, "Sunday Telegraph"

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