History as pastime

About this book

The Burgundian author Jean de Wavrin (c.1400-c.1477) has been known to historians for a long time but his work is usually considered derivative and of little importance. Closer study reveals that he had an interesting career, first serving in the Anglo-Burgundian army, then marrying a rich widow and settling down to a quieter life in Lille, where he composed his vast compilation of the histories of England. At the same time he became a supplier of romances to Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, and an avid collector of all kinds of books himself. A very unusual draughtsman, whom he almost uniquely patronised, was later named ?The Wavrin master? by art historians. Wavrin?s life as a soldier and civilian, ambassador and courtier, is here presented as fully as possible and put into context. His library and his interests are analysed and his own book, its creation, use of sources, purpose and value are discussed, and its often beautifully illustrated manuscripts described and explained. The work is a major study of a neglected medieval chronicler who offers a unique perspective on events in England during the Wars of the Roses and the reign of Edward IV. There is a full index and detailed appendices examining the surviving manuscripts.