Description:The Middle Ages witnessed a resurgence in the creation of written texts and a parallel increase in literacy across Europe. Six essays, covering late Antiquity to the Reformation, examine the terminology of medieval writing and the significance of religious and legal documents, as well as literature and more personal letters. The appeal of non-verbal symbolic communication in medieval rituals is also examined as is the status of the book as an object, particularly in eastern Europe. A large part of the book comprises a bibliography of over 1500 titles, arranged by subject matter, which is designed as a guide to further research.