Hildegarde de Bingen
Music enthusiasts will recognize Hildegard of Bingen as the composer of the many Gregorian-like harmonies that flooded the FM radio airwaves in the early 1990s, but most people do not know about her life as a 12th-century Benedictine cloistered nun, poet, writer of medical treatises, founder of a religious community, and healer who experienced visitations throughout her life. To celebrate the 900th anniversary of her birth, Pernoud (Joan of Arc: By Herself and Her Witnesses, Scarborough House, 1994) draws heavily on the nun's own correspondence with future saints, popes, and emperors to fashion a vivid portrait of both this remarkable woman and turbulent 12th-century Europe. His excellent work leaves the reader eager to search out more about this important figure. Recommended for all libraries.?Glenn Masuchika, Chaminade Univ. Lib., HonoluluCopyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.