Although (it is surprising to learn) this book is the first full-length study of the Giant Bible produced at Saint-Vaast in the first half of the eleventh century, Diane Reilly's book is considerably more than an investigation of the Bible itself, its illuminations and the scriptorium and monastery in which it was produced. Rather, Reilly seeks to explore the illustration programme and the sources of the Saint-Vaast Bible by addressing two broader themes: first, the use of art as an instrument employed by the elite, or their ecclesiastical image makers, to shape the perceptions of contemporaries, and second, the reform context in Flanders and Lotharingia in the early eleventh century and how this impacted on the illustrations of the manuscript. Chapter i introduces the Saint-Vaast Bible, the scriptorium and the development of its ‘house style’ over the two stages in which it is argued the illuminations were made. Chapter ii explores to the changing function of Bibles in monastic liturgical practice and the impact of eleventh-century reform. Chapter iii assesses the influence of the monastic reformer, Richard of Saint-Vanne, and Bishop Gerard of Cambrai, as well as the impact of events such as the peace of God on the illustrative programme of the Bible. Chapter iv turns to the imagery and presentation of kingship in the Saint-Vaast Bible, which breaks with the earlier Carolingian practice of glorifying a particular king or family in the iconography. It is Reilly's argument that the geographical and political context of the region, together with the influences of Richard and Gerard, led the illuminators to stress Augustinian ideas of kingship and in particularly Gelasian ideals of cooperation between the episcopate and royal power, which are depicted in terms of idealised offices and not individuals. Chapter v assesses the extent to which the duties, responsibilities and dangers of queens were a topic of interest in eleventh-century Arras, and explores the Saint-Vaast artists' construction of a vision of queenship. Chapter vi concludes the volume by addressing later figurative additions and the legacy of the Bible. An appendix provides a catalogue description of the Bible, and a detailed bibliography and 46 plates accompany the volume. This is a very important contribution that defies traditional discipline characterisations of art history, religious thought, iconography, manuscript studies transmission and medieval religious history more broadly; it is to Reilly's tremendous credit and skill that the Saint Vaast Bible has been examined so effectively from all these perspectives.