Blanche Parry

One glorious artefact that belonged to Melisende does still survive and that is the carved ivory book covers of the Queen Melisende Psalter, now in the British Library. Described by the author in detail, they lead her to an examination of the art that would have been familiar to her subject. This provides an entirely different dimension from most biographies, as Melisende is firmly placed in the context of the artistic influences of her time. Chapters are devoted to the life the Crusaders knew in Europe, the Riches and Ritual of the Byzantine Empire, and the influences of the Islamic World. Each area examined includes a concise and very readable account of the culture and history of the given topic. The details are complicated but it is one of the triumphs of this book that it is relatively easy to follow exactly who is being referred to at any point. The carefully chosen illustrations, many in colour, add fine detail. The reader is given a beautiful impression of Queen Melisende's way of life, through discussion of architecture, textiles, jewellery, household objects and more. It is a revelation to have the names of many of the artists who created such works. This rounded picture, despite few written sources, gives the reader an accurate account of the context of her life.

In the Introduction the author explains too much about what she intends and in the book as a whole there is some repetition. Her style, though, is clear and she provides useful references being generous in her acknowledgements. There is a short glossary, a useful bibliography and a reasonable index. Occasional points in the text can be questioned. She is at her weakest, for instance, in discussing European food arrangements but she also tells us about Arabic cookbooks whose recipes permeated back to Europe. She excels in her field of art history but is also good at deliminating the differing views of the western and eastern Churches. In addition, the Byzantine Emperor's distrust of the Crusaders is admirably explained and it is interesting to be navigated through the convoluted politics of the period.

Many books compartmentalise their subjects. This biography provides a refreshing approach that largely overcomes the dearth of primary evidence. Although the author does not mention it, Melisende belongs very much to that group of powerful women, such as Matilda and Eleanor of Aquitaine, who were able to make an impact despite the then perceived handicap of their gender. The author ends by hoping that this book will lead to further books about Queen Melisende and 'other women unknown to us from history'. This unusual biography is readable and very interesting.