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The Book in the Cathedral
The Book in the Cathedral
Oct 9, 2024 7:14 AM

Author:Christopher de Hamel

The Book in the Cathedral

From the bestselling author of Meetings With Remarkable Manuscripts, a captivating account of the last surviving relic of Thomas Becket

The assassination of Thomas Becket in Canterbury Cathedral on 29 December 1170 is one of the most famous events in European history. It inspired the largest pilgrim site in medieval Europe and many works of literature from Chaucer's Canterbury Tales to T. S. Eliot's Murder in the Cathedral and Anouilh's Becket.

In a brilliant piece of historical detective work, Christopher de Hamel here identifies the only surviving relic from Becket's shrine: the Anglo-Saxon Psalter which he cherished throughout his time as Archbishop of Canterbury, and which he may even have been holding when he was murdered.

Beautifully illustrated and published to coincide with the 850th anniversary of the death of Thomas Becket, this is an exciting rediscovery of one of the most evocative artefacts of medieval England.

Reviews

Readers will delight in de Hamel's passion for his subject, his book's sumptuous illustrations, and above all his virtuoso display of learning

—— John Guy , Literary Review

De Hamel - author of the wonderful Meetings With Remarkable Manuscripts - shows us all the tools of the bibliographer's trade: dating handwriting, identifying pigments, noting the rust marks left by nails from a now-lost ornate binding ... The identification - or rehabilitation - of his psalter, the book he carried with him into exile, possibly held at his death, is a timely and enjoyable tribute.

—— Dennis Duncan , The Guardian

Christopher de Hamel quotes Sherlock Holmes, as he might, in his latest bit of medieval detective work, showing that a book of the Psalms in a Cambridge college was once a treasured possession of St Thomas Becket ... grippingly told in The Book in the Cathedral.

—— Christopher Howse , Daily Telegraph

She is a superb writer, used to throwing together pacy, engaging scripts at a second's notice. Each chapter is dedicated to one of her interviews - it is a sort of greatest-hits compilation

—— The Sunday Times

[Emily] is so absolutely of the moment, a quasi-memoir could not be better timed. Airhead is a compilation of her greatest hits. And boy are there many . . . narrated in her snappy, chatty style . . . her asides are acerbic, her observations hilarious

—— Evening Standard

She recounts the interviews of her career, from the great, the good and the questionable, offering insights into the questions that illuminated their characters and the ones they dodged. A chapter on being the target of a stalker reveals her more vulnerable side in this compelling book

—— Observer

Airhead is, like its author, funny, wise, self-deprecating and insightful

—— You Magazine

Smart, funny and brilliantly told stories about what goes on behind the scenes of television news. A joy

—— Elizabeth Day

Revelatory, riveting and frequently hilarious. A joy from beginning to end

—— James O'Brien

A remarkable journey through the jungle of newsmaking. It combines razor-sharp analysis with compelling narrative drive and wit. A must-read

—— Matthew d'Ancona, Guardian and Evening Standard columnist

A wonderfully sane book for our unhinged times

—— Simon Schama

Emily has a style that would make you enjoy her report on the end of the world. Absolutely irresistible

—— Jeremy Vine

The irony of this riveting, enlightening and sometimes painfully honest book is that you couldn't meet less of an airhead than Emily Maitlis - a bold, fearless journalist, a splendidly probing and well-prepared interlocutor, and a warm, sharp and witty woman at the top of her game on and off camera. I'm just very disappointed there's only one chapter about me

—— Piers Morgan

A light and easy read but a thought-provoking one

—— The Times

An irreverent and amusing account of her media career

—— The Times, 100 Best Books for Summer

Smart and Broadcast News-funny, Airhead is peppered with insider anecdotes you could only pick up working on the kind of big news stories that the journalist has covered for decades

—— Daily Telegraph

Not an autobiography but a serious book about journalism, disguised in anecdotal chapters about her encounters with the great and the good and the rather awful . . . leads the reader towards a deeper understanding of an essential part of our culture: current affairs . . . this is a book that engages at every level

—— Daily Mail

Vividly demonstrates her drive to report

—— Tatler Magazine

Maitlis writes brilliantly

—— Tatler

A deliciously funny behind-the-scenes take on broadcasting and her encounters with politicians and celebrities

—— i

Fascinating . . . [an] excellent book

—— Mail on Sunday

A behind-the-scenes look at how news gets made

—— Observer

A fascinating and brilliantly evocative ringside seat at some of the most notable interviews she's done

—— Radio Times

Behind-the-scenes accounts of her famous encounters, including those with Donald Trump, Bill Clinton and the Dalai Lama, among many others

—— Daily Mail Books of the Year

She lifts the veil on the inner workings of the BBC, as she reflects on her long career as a journalist

—— Radio Times

She offers insights into everyone from Donald Trump to Simon Cowell, showing them not just as what they represent, but as individuals with flaws and charm

—— The Press and Journal

One of the best we've read this year . . . This insightful, hilarious and engrossing memoir from one of our most well-liked TV broadcasters takes you behind the scenes of the biggest news stories in recent years

—— SheerLuxe, 15 Best Beach Reads of 2019

Recounts, one guest per chapter, a number of her interviews with the boldest of boldface figures . . . Entertaining

—— Strong Words

A quick, absorbing read . . . my overriding impression is of rather breathless thoughtfulness . . . her formidable intelligence and self-deprecating awareness shine brightly

—— Times Higher Education

We love the Maitlis

—— Stylist

We're obsessed with Emily Maitlis in this house

—— Nick Grimshaw

Emily Maitlis is a particular hero of mine . . . I know I'm in for a treat with Airhead

—— Gaby Huddart, Editor-in-chief, Good Housekeeping

Emily Maitlis is one of my favourite interviewers and I want to read her tales of interviewing people such as Donald Trump, Theresa May and Simon Cowell

—— Catriona Shearer, Sunday Mail

A fascinating behind-the-scenes insight into modern television news

—— Time & Leisure Magazine

It's a brilliant, often funny, behind-the-scenes account of her working life, written by one of Britain's best television broadcasters. It proves she's far from an airhead!

—— John Craven

She gives readers a behind-the-scenes look at some of the most engaging interviews she's conducted in recent years - with all the wrangling, arguing, pleading and last-minute script writing they involved. Insightful, funny and engrossing, we love it.

—— SheerLuxe
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