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The Book of Kells

Unlocking the Enigma

The Book of Kells cover

The Book of Kells

Unlocking the Enigma

Quantity
Pre-order. Available 03 Feb 2026
$62.99 RRP $69.99 Website price saving $7.00 (10%)

Payment for this pre-order will be taken when the item becomes available

Description

A new and definitive account of one of the most famous and mysterious manuscripts in the world.

The Book of Kells is a mystery. It is distinct from all copies of the gospels from the early Middle Ages, not only in the quality and amount of its decoration but also in the peculiarities of the ordering of its contents, the oddness of its apparatus, the appearance of the script, the interplay of text and ornament, and the erratic forms of its Latin. Scholars cannot agree on the number of scribes and artists involved; or establish the purpose of the Book; or decide whether its oddities are the result of incompetence or carelessness, and how those oddities relate to the minutely careful and deeply meaningful art.

The Book of Kells is probably the most famous manuscript in the world – and Victoria Whitworth's masterly treatment offers something new.

Product details

Published 03 Feb 2026
Format Hardback
Edition 1st
Extent 336
ISBN 9781788541800
Imprint Apollo
Illustrations 195 integrated colour (incl. repeated details)
Dimensions 246 x 189 mm
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing

About the contributors

Author

Victoria Whitworth

Victoria Whitworth is a novelist and academic who…

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