Bernhard Bischoff (1906-1991) was one of the most renowned scholars of medieval palaeography of the twentieth century. His most outstanding contribution to learning was in the field of Carolingian studies, where his work is based on the catalogue of all extant ninth-century manuscripts and fragments. Many of his articles on aspects of eighth- and ninth-century culture are now classics. Michael Gorman has selected seven of these essays, which he presents here for the first time in English translation.

They include an investigation of the manuscript evidence and the role of books in the transmission of culture from the sixth to the late eighth century, and two studies of the court libraries of Charlemagne and Louis the Pious. Bischoff also explores centres of learning outside the court in terms of the writing centres and the libraries associated with major monastic and cathedral schools respectively.

. This rich collection is designed to make Bischoff's seminal work on Carolingian culture more widely available.