The imperial protection enjoyed by the abbey of Farfa under the Carolingians, the Ottonians and the Salians, makes it a fascinating object of study for the institutional historian. In an accomplished contribution to the field, Susan Boynton considers the abbey through the lens of its liturgy from the time of its Cluniac reform through to its falling under papal control in the 1120s. At the heart of her account is the conviction that liturgy served to shape and reflect identity, rather than simply manifest power. Historical documents are accordingly read as part of a broader pattern of cultural production at the abbey, while the liturgy is interpreted as an arena in which self-understanding is fashioned in a highly nuanced manner. The opening chapter explores the works of Farfa's prolific historian, Gregory of Cattino, in the light of liturgical practice, while the second chapter examines first the office of Matins and then so-called ‘private’ prayers as modes of performative exegesis. A detailed consideration of the relation between the liturgies of Farfa and Cluny by means of a study of relevant customaries follows in chapter iii. The fourth chapter turns to connections between liturgical observances and specific visual artefacts, before the final chapter explores ways in which the abbey's political fortunes informed new compositions for local saints. Boynton's never less than thought-provoking work merits serious consideration not only as a lucid and highly suggestive contribution to the cultural history of Farfa, but also as model for drawing together a detailed study of the component parts of liturgy (in particular, music, text and ceremony) with economic and political history.