The Ellesmere manuscript of Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, commonly referred to as the "Ellesmere Chaucer," is one of the most valuable and cherished manuscripts in the Huntington Library. Compiled within five years of Chaucer’s death in 1400, it is considered by most experts to be the definitive manuscript of this cornerstone of English literature. This book is an ideal introduction to the Ellesmere Chaucer, covering its context, construction, and provenance, with more than two dozen full-page color illustrations showing the techniques of the scribes and illuminators.

Herbert Schulz is the former Curator of Manuscripts at the Huntington Library.