Paston Letters and Papers of the Fifteenth Century Part I: 20 (Early English Text Society Supplementary Series) - Hardcover

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0197224210 ISBN 13: 9780197224212

Publisher: Early English Text Society, 2004

Synopsis

The Paston family papers have long been consulted for their information about social history and politics, both within East Anglia and also nationally, in the fifteenth century. Part I of this edition was first published by the Clarendon Press in 1971 (Part II in 1976), but the edition has long been out of print. In addition to the letters and papers, Part I contains biographical sketches of the writers, a full comparative chronological table and the Introduction. The opportunity has been taken in this re-issue to correct minor typographical and editorial errors, but Professor Davis's work has not been otherwise altered. Part III, edited by Dr Richard Beadle and Professor Colin Richmond, is due to be published in 2005, and will contain the remaining text, and indices. It will complete the series. Norman Davis was formerly Merton Professor of English Language and Literature at the University of Oxford, and Director of the Early English Text Society.

About this title

Review

Review from previous edition This magnificent edition is indispensable to libraries and students. (History Today)

The Paston Letters demand long and loving attention, for each fresh reading invariably reveals some new dimension of fifteenth-century English society. (History)

Une edition monumentale et, vraisemblablement, definitive, instrument indispensable a tout chercheur s'interssant a la langue ou a la vie sociale en Angleterrre au xv siecle. (Etudes Anglaises)

Davis's transcription and editing of the individual documents in his first two volumes is brilliant. (Speculum - A Journal of Mediaeval Studies)

Synopsis

The Paston family papers provide an incomparable picture of life in fifteenth-century England, and richly illustrate the resources of the language at an important period. They have long been consulted by historians and other students of the fifteenth century for their information about social history and politics, both within East Anglia and also nationally. This authoritative edition, by Professor Norman Davis - formerly Director of the Early English Text Society - was published by the Clarendon Press in 1971 (volume I) and 1976 (volume II) but has long been out of print. In addition to the letters and papers themselves, Volume I contains excellent biographical sketches of the writers, a full comparative chronological table, and an informative introduction to the separate documents. Volume II contains correspondence addressed to the Pastons by others than members of the family. This is arranged in chronological order under the names of the recipients, and in addition some sixty miscellaneous documents are also included. A third volume, which Professor Davis was unable to complete before his death, is in preparation, edited by Dr Richard Beadle and Professor Colin Richmond.

This will include the remaining text and the indexes, and will complete the series.

Edition details

• Publisher: Early English Text Society
• Publication date: 2004
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0197224210
• ISBN 13: 9780197224212
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 759
• Editor: Davis Norman