The Medieval English Universities

• The Medieval English Universities – Oxford and Cambridge to c.1500
  Alan B. Cobban - Scolar Press, 1988 - xvii + 465pp

I sat down to assemble my reactions to this book just after the radio had concluded broadcasting the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols from King's College, Cambridge. This moving annual event would have reminded me anyway of Dr Cobban, for he is the author of a standard history of the King's Hall, predecessor of the College, whose choir sang carols and whose members read the bible passages prescribed for Christmas. University history has recently flourished into several major undertakings, not the least notable being the history of Oxford which began under the editorship of the late Trevor Aston. To such studies Dr Cobban has contributed for long and fruitfully.