The Bayeux Tapestry is a unique historical artwork almost 70 metres long, which tells the story of the events leading to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066 by William, Duke of Normandy. Its account of the eleventh century in England and France is like no other, revealing details from civil and military architecture to armour, seafaring and everyday life. Featuring a full-colour reproduction of the Tapestry, this beautiful new book allows the reader to follow the narrative visually, while texts from international experts unpick the importance of the work in understanding this pivotal point in European history. The latest research into the Tapestry is presented across five chapters that explore its patronage, design and production, its status as an iconic work of art, and its depictions of daily life. Focused profiles woven throughout introduce key figures from the world of the Tapestry, offering moments of personal connection within the sweeping story. This publication marks the historic moment of the loan of the Tapestry to the British Museum, the first time it has been displayed outside of France in almost 1,000 years.

Authors Sue Brunning is Curator: Early Medieval European Collections at the British Museum Lloyd de Beer is Curator: European Modern Collection at the British Museum Michael Lewis is Head of Portable Antiquities and Treasure at the British Museum. Naomi Speakman is Curator: Late Medieval Europe Collections at the British Museum. Contributors David Bates is Emeritus Professor of Medieval History at the University of East Anglia. Pierre Bauduin is Professor of Medieval History at the University of Caen, Normandy. Martin Bostal is Exhibitions Curator at the Bayeux Tapestry Museum and Associate Researcher at CRAHAM, University of Caen Normandy. Luc Bourgeois is Professor of Medieval Archaeology at the University of Caen, Normandy, and member of Centre Michel de Boüard. Richard Gameson is Professor of the History of the Book at Durham University. Cécile Lagane is Senior Lecturer in Medieval Archaeology at the University of Caen, Normandy, specialising in material culture. Tom Licence is Professor of Medieval History and Literature at the University of East Anglia. Alexandra Makin is a Third Century Fellow at Manchester Metropolitan University. Gale R. Owen-Crocker is Professor Emerita of the University of Manchester. Elizabeth Pastan is Professor of Art History at Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia. Clémentine Paquier-Berthelot is Head of Digital and Documentary Programming at the Bayeux Tapestry Museum. Pauline Stafford is Professor Emerita, University of Liverpool and the author of several works on early medieval queens. Elisabeth van Houts FBA is Emeritus Honorary Professor of European Medieval History at the University of Cambridge and a Fellow of Emmanuel College, Cambridge.