Naomi Speakman – författare

The Bayeux Tapestry is one of the most significant surviving objects in European history. This book celebrates its unique loan to the British Museum and will be the essential volume about the Tapestry for generations to come.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.

The Bayeux Tapestry is a triumph of medieval art, demonstrating exceptional storytelling and an unparalleled artistic vision. This stunning collector’s edition celebrates its unique loan to the British Museum in 2026.This exquisite large-format, deluxe publication showcases a reproduction of the Bayeux Tapestry in intimate detail – so close that you can see every stitch. A separately bound curators’ commentary, designed to be read alongside the reproduction, explores the context of the work and boasts the finest production finishes to emphasise the handcrafted nature of the Tapestry itself. The expert commentary draws attention to unexpected details worthy of a closer look, such as the actions of marginal figures in the borders or allusions to myths and fables.The Tapestry is noteworthy in that it uses colour expressively instead of naturalistically – horses, for example, can be brown but also blue, contributing to the energy of the Tapestry’s iconic design. The stunning luxe package of the collector’s edition brings this superb artistry to life using colours and materials that are sympathetic to the original work, including coloured threads binding the separate volume in a nod to the Tapestry’s texture and materiality.The book also includes a unique standalone essay to contextualise the Tapestry, explaining what it is and why it’s important.

Praise for the exhibition***** The Times***** The Telegraph ***** The Guardian ***** Evening Standard Praise for the book'If you cannot make it to the show itself, then I implore you to buy the catalogue, which is one of the best I've ever read – scholarly and entertaining, a good history book in its own right.' – Tim Stanley, The Telegraph ‘A marvellous and consistently enthralling account’ – Christopher de Hamel, bestselling author of The Book in the Cathedral“[The book] provides an up-to-date, highly readable and lavishly illustrated text that will finally supplant Borenius’s book as the definitive account of the art of Thomas Becket” - Dr Tom Nickson, Arts Journal The murder of Thomas Becket in Canterbury Cathedral on 29 December 1170 sent shockwaves across medieval Europe. He rose from ordinary beginnings in London to become chancellor to King Henry II and then Archbishop of Canterbury, making him one of the most powerful men in England. Becket’s fortunes changed when a bitter dispute with Henry forced him into a six-year exile. Less than a month after his return to England, he was killed by four knights with close ties to the king. In the wake of Becket’s death, hundreds of miracles were attributed to him and, just over two years later, he was canonised. All across Europe he was celebrated as a defender of the Church against royal tyranny.Lloyd de Beer and Naomi Speakman tell the story of Becket’s dramatic life, death and legacy through a stunning array of objects, including medieval stained glass, manuscripts, jewellery and sacred reliquaries. They reveal Canterbury Cathedral’s transformation into one of Europe’s most popular pilgrimage destinations. Over the centuries pilgrims visited Becket’s shrine in their thousands, a journey famously reimagined by Geoffrey Chaucer in The Canterbury Tales. A dedicated section by Rachel Koopmans, which features groundbreaking new research, delves deeper into Becket’s miracle stories through the lens of one of the stained-glass miracle windows from the cathedral. The cult of Thomas Becket endured in spite of the English Reformation, during which his shrine at Canterbury was dramatically destroyed and his image and name outlawed. From twelfth-century London to the Tudor court, this magnificent book takes you through the twists and turns of one of the most remarkable stories of the Middle Ages.

The Lacock Cup is a rare object with a unique English history. Made in the 1430s, it is one of a handful of pieces of secular silver from the Middle Ages, which both survived the changing culture of Tudor fashion and the turmoil of the Reformation. Originally created as a drinking cup for feasting in the fifteenth century, the Cup later became a sacred chalice for the community of Lacock in Wiltshire at the parish church of Saint Cyriac. With an unbroken local heritage of over 400 years, this piece was a central feature of religious ceremony until the late twentieth century. The remarkable story of this special cup is brought to life in this short and accessible book. Its history, from drinking vessel to holy chalice, opens a window into the culture of late medieval England and having survived the centuries in near perfect condition, it acts as a witness to these times of great change. Charting the journey of the Cup, from fifteenth century medieval society, through the Reformation and later Civil War to the present day, this book will also explore the Cup’s role as a communion vessel in its local setting of Lacock, and its treatment at the British Museum where it has been on loan since 1962. The Cup remained in irregular use by the parish until the 1980s, and this story of over 500 years of outstanding care and use provides a fitting conclusion to one of England’s most important silver objects.