To what extent does our knowledge of the past rely upon written sources? And what happens when these sources are destroyed? Focusing on the manuscripts of the Middle Ages, History in Flames explores cases in which large volumes of written material were destroyed during a single day. This destruction didn't occur by accident of fire or flood but by human forces such as arson, shelling and bombing. This book examines the political and military events that preceded the moment of destruction, from the Franco-Prussian War and the Irish Civil War to the complexities of World War II; it analyses the material lost and how it came to be where it was. At the same time, it discusses the heroic efforts made by scholars and archivists to preserve these manuscripts, even partially. History in Flames reminds us that historical knowledge rests on material remains, and that these remains are vulnerable.

‘We seldom consider how tenuous our knowledge of the past really is. Robert Bartlett’s History in Flames is an essential contribution to our understanding of how the raw materials of the past - books and documents - are destroyed by the forces of subsequent ages. The past is not constant; we can only understand it through what survives, and Bartlett’s unparalleled grasp of the Middle Ages gives a poignant sense for just how much has been lost, and what is at stake in the future.’

Patrick Wyman - author of The Verge: Reformation, Renaissance, and Forty Years that Shook the World

‘Robert Bartlett’s History in Flames is a wonderful guide to the various factors that have conditioned the survival of manuscripts and archives from the Middle Ages through to the modern world. In lively and engaging prose, Bartlett offers a panoramic view of the various acts of human destruction that have shaped our surviving records, from the Cotton Fire through to World War II bombing. In each case, he traces not only the destruction wrought, but also the ingenuity this inspired - the many brilliant attempts to reconstruct these lost materials by subsequent scholars. The result is informative and engaging in equal measures.’

Levi Roach - author of Empires of the Normans: Makers of Europe, Conquerors of Asia

‘Robert Bartlett has demonstrated his range and originality as a scholar once again in this fantastic and briskly written study. While the book will sharpen readers’ sense of loss at the tragic destruction of so many European archives, libraries and individual manuscripts, it will also strengthen their appreciation for the need to preserve what has survived. Reading Bartlett’s book was, for me, a salutary experience in ways too numerous to count.’

William C. Jordan - author of The Apple of His Eye: Converts from Islam in the Reign of Louis IX

‘(An) informative history … History in Flames brings home quite how many medieval manuscripts have been destroyed, and quite how lucky we are to have the ones that survive.’

Pablo Scheffer Source: Daily Telegraph

‘As Bartlett heart-wringingly shows, history has too often proved to be as fragile as the paper it was recorded on.’

Michael Prodger Source: New Statesman

'History in Flames demonstrates that 'the past is not presented to us on a plate.' Our knowledge of history lives and dies by what survives and our ability to understand what those traces of the past can tell us.'

David J. Davis Source: The Wall Street Journal

'a powerful lament for the books and documents from the Middle Ages that have been lost.'

Richard Ovenden Source: Literary Review

'A book of rare quality that balances simplicity and accessibility for the beginner with argumentative substance and stimulation for the initiated. It serves as a reminder of the fragility of the past and of humankind's routine inability to 'handle with care'.'

Joshua Rice Source: Times Literary Supplement

‘Although the history of the destruction of the medieval Western textual record is bleak, this book by Bartlett will enlighten readers from generalists to specialists. … Highly recommended.’

R. T. Ingoglia Source: Choice