In this study, Henry Ginsburg describes a wide range of manuscripts and other documents in European and North American collections, discussing each in their religious, historical and cultural context. The book expands on the author's previous work, "Thai Manuscript Painting" (1989) which was an introductory survey of the main types of painting, based primarily on British Library material. Since then many illustrated manuscripts, some with dated colophons, have come to light in Western collections. They considerably alter understanding of the subject, and this study includes dated examples from 1797 through to the end of the 19th century, to enable us to define the development of style.