Diana Greenway – författare

The monastery of Walden was founded c.1136 by Geoffrey de Mandeville, a prominent baron in the civil war of Stephen's reign. Its site just outside the town of Saffron Walden in Essex is now occupied by the great Jacobean mansion known as Audley End House. The Book of the Foundation of Walden Monastery, written by a Walden monk soon after 1203, is here printed in its entirety for the first time. This lively narrative relates the history of the Mandeville earls of Essex and the inheritance of their lands and title by King John's justiciar, Geoffrey fitz Peter. The monk-author describes the development of the priory at Walden and its elevation to the status of a Benedictine abbey in 1190, and in the final section of the work he traces the consequent conflict with Geoffrey fitz Peter, concluding the story with the death of Abbot Reginald in 1200 or 1203. The interest of The Book of the Foundation of Walden Monastery extends far beyond the local: the editors' introduction and notes establish its position as a valuable historical source.

This is the first English translation for forty years of a medieval classic, offering vivid and unique insight into the life of a great monastery in late twelfth-century England. The translation brilliantly communicates the interest and immediacy of Jocelin's narrative, and the annotation is particularly clear and helpful. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.