The Book of Beasts T.H. White (translator) ,

Translated form the Latin by T.H. White, author of The Once and Future King, The Book of Beasts is a fascinating store of medieval knowledge of the natural world. There was no particular author of the book, rather it was an accumulation of wisdom gathered from a wealth of sources finally copied down in an abbey during the twelfth century. Here you will fond descriptions of the and and the mole side by side with the phoenix and the siren, as well as familiar creatures endued with unfamiliar attributes: the newt which stares the scorpion into a stupor, the eagle who renews his plumage and sight by flying close to the sun and then plunging into a fountain. Some of the entries are simple physical descriptions, others explain the perceived symbolism of a creature's life and its moral significance to man.

As well as translating the Latin, T.H. White provides the reader with notes, expanding on the lore of the entries, and cross-references to other works, while his appendix gives a comprehensive background to the work, its production, sources and beliefs.

Fully illustrated with original manuscript drawings, this bestiary will prove absorbing reading both for the lay person and for those interested in the workings of the medieval mind.