Rodulfus Glaber

The monk Rodulfus Glaber is best known for his Five Books of Histories, a major source for events in the first half of the eleventh century, and valuable above all for revealing the mental furniture of an eleventh-century monk - for his account of the millennium, of relics genuine and false, of church-building, and visions of saints and demons. This edition, the first since 1866, presents the only critical text of the Histories, accompanied by a complete translationand a full historical commentary. Glaber also wrote a Life of his mentor, St William of Dijon, the renowned monastic reformer. The Life is reprinted after the Histories, again with translation and notes. The evidence for Glaber's life, and the value of his work are discussed in a HistoricalIntroduction.

`Glaber's Histories were last edited more than a century ago. France's new edition not only makes them more accessible - students, and harassed tutors, will of course benefit greatly from the good and accurate English translation of the author's often clumsy and difficult Latin - but provides a long and illuminating introduction.' History, 'As this millenium draws to its close, it seems only appropriate that the event be heralded by the appearance of a critical edition, together with a first English translation, of the Histories of Rodulfus Glaber and his Life of William of Dijon.' Lynn K. Barker, Mississippi State University, Albion, 'Now, over a century since the last edition of his work, come two superb edition/translations of Rodulfus Glaber, which should form a firm foundation for both a more serious historical analysis of the man and his work and a wider audience for him and for those who work on him. Both editions offer an excellent edition of the text ... there is no doubt that both of these splendid editions now make it possible to study and teach Glaber on a solid foundation. For this, historians of the central Middle Ages, and, eventually, historians of the Europe whose birth Glaber chronicles, have much to thank these scholars.' Richard Landes, Boston University, Speculum, A Journal of Mediveal Studies, Jan 1993