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Publisher: New York, Cincinnati [etc.] American book conmpnayPublication date: 1899Subjects: HistoryNotes: This is an OCR reprint. There may be numerous typos or missing text. There are no illustrations or indexes.When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. You can also preview the book there. ... Read more

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Originally published in 1912.This volume from the Cornell University Library's print collections was scanned on an APT BookScan and converted to JPG 2000 format by Kirtas Technologies.All titles scanned cover to cover and pages may include marks notations and other marginalia present in the original volume. ... Read more

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This is the third edition of Patrick J. Geary's highly acclaimed collection of source materials on the medieval period. (A single-volume format of the complete text is also available.)

As before, four principles guide the selection of materials. First, entire documents are included wherever possible, not snippets. Second, texts are grouped to form dossiers in which the individual documents relate to one another, reflecting the practice of historians themselves. Third, most of the documents chosen have been the subject of significant scholarship. And fourth, raw material for many types of historical investigations is provided: the documents are equally useful to the political historian, the social historian, the cultural historian or the historian of mentalities.

The third edition includes an updated Preface, more extensive material from Gregory of Tours, and a new section, "The Iberian Peninsula," containing material that deals with Jews, Muslims, and Heretics. The format of Readings in Medieval History has also been altered to make it more user-friendly. Volume I: The Early Middle Ages includes documents written up to the early 12th century; Volume II: The Later Middle Ages includes documents from the late 11th century on.

Customer Reviews (4)

Nice collection
Read it and weep at how far the West has deteriorated since Medieval times.

How much the West has lost
The book is intended to give the reader an idea of how people thought in Medieval times, which it does.It is also a sad commentary on how much of its values and backbone the West has lost since then.

Medieval History- packaged without filler
Readings in Medieval History is a terrific book for a number of reasons. Many students today encounter only secondary source materials in their history courses; in other words, students are immediately presented with a particular historian's opinion of a given source document before he or she is allowed to dive into the readings themselves. Secondary text books frame (and limit) one's readings with phrases such as "the Anglo-Saxon chronicle was significant because..." Patrick Geary presents the material in their raw form and allows the reader to draw his or her own significance.

This text allows the student of history to read primary documents, which are mostly presented unabridged, exactly as they were written by their medieval authors. Other than the inherent problems of translation (most of these texts were writen in medieval Latin, Old English, French, or other vernaculars) this book offers the most direct contact with the past that an individual can reasonably hope for. This book allows you to hear the medieval voice without modern contextual hindrances. Readings in Medieval History situates its wonderful texts in their own particular cultural milieu, and allows the reader to appreciate these documents in their own right.

Geary Puts the Medieval Back In the Middle Ages
I had the opportunity to use this book as a text for a course while studying at UC Riverside.It serves well as a secondary souce; for those unfamiliar with the term, this kind of source is historical documentationwritten by contemporaries.So it contains accounts written written bymedieval Europeans.It does primarily contain translated documents, inmodern english, from Western Europe.Readers will find all the usualsuspects and many more: Tacitus, Charlemagne, Gregory of Tours, King Louisthe Ninth, King John, and a plethora of papal thought.Additional gemsinclude the memoirs of a Byzantine princess, the Domesday book, theConcordant of Worms, and the interpretations of Aristotle by the Muslimphilosopher Siegbert (my favorite).Naturally, the writings arechallenging to read for those who are unfamiliar with medieval prose andstyle, but as a student I found reading the documents remarkably similar toreading today's Common Law documents.For anyone who is interested inbuilding synapses geared for the study of law, this thick book is aspringboard as most of its documents pertain to canon law, divine law,theology, Roman law, and English law.Worth your pennies! ... Read more

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Medieval history begins with the dissolution of the Western Empirewith the abandonment of the Latin world to German conquerors. Of the provinces affected by the catastrophe the youngest was Britain; and even Britain had then been Roman soil for more than three hundred years. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Too generalized.
This is a short book, just over 100 pages in printed form and far too vague and general to be a lasting real interest.
The subject matter, Medieval Europe, needs a fuller more detailed study.
I skipped the pages on the crusades for instance as I have an excellent full length study, "God's War" (900+pages), already.
Medieval Europe is a free book of course, and if you know nothing of European history maybe you could start here. Otherwise give it a miss. ... Read more

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The sixth volume of The New Cambridge Medieval History offers an authoritative synthesis of the major themes in European fourteenth-century history, written by leading British, continental and American scholars. It provides a wide-ranging account of a period of major social, political and cultural change, punctuated by the greatest natural disaster experienced by mankind, the Black Death. Illustrated by maps, figures and plates, and furnished with detailed bibliographies, it will be indispensable to anyone interested in the development of Christendom during the period and its relations with other civilizations. ... Read more

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What is it that medieval historians do? And how - and why - do they do it? What is Medieval History? provides an accessible, far-ranging and passionate guide to the study of medieval history. The book discusses the creation of the academic field, the nature of the sources, the intellectual tools used by medievalists, and some key areas of thematic importance from the fall of the Roman Empire to the Reformation.

Students, teachers, researchers and interested general readers will find the book an invaluable guide. The author explores his field through numerous fascinating case studies, including a magical plot against a medieval pope, a fourteenth-century insurrection, and the importance of a kiss exchanged between two tenth-century noblemen.

Throughout the book, readers are shown not only what medieval history is, but the cultural and political contexts in which medieval history has been written. And, above all, What is Medieval History? demonstrates why the pursuit of medieval history continues to be important to the present and future world. ... Read more

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This book gives a chronological account of the hisstory andculture of Andhra Pradesh from the earliest times till the advent ofthe East India Company into our country. ... Read more

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The fourth volume of The New Cambridge Medieval History covers the eleventh and twelfth centuries, which comprised the most dynamic period in the European Middle Ages. The first of two parts, this volume deals with ecclesiastical and secular themes, in addition to major developments such as the expansion of population, agriculture, trade, and towns; the radical reform of the Western Church; the appearance of new kingdoms and states, the Crusades, knighthood and law; and the development of literature, art and architecture, heresies and the scholastic movement. ... Read more

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Gratian has long been called the Father of Canon Law. This latest volume in the ongoing History of Medieval Canon Law series covers the period from Gratian's initial teaching of canon law during the 1120s to just before the promulgation of the Decretals of Pope Gregory IX in 1234.

Gratian's contributions to the birth of canon law and European jurisprudence were significant: he introduced a new methodology of teaching law by using hypothetical cases and by integrating--and inserting in the texts themselves--his own comments on the canons. He also used the dialectical method to analyze legal problems that he raised in his cases. Though this methodology was first developed by Peter Abelard and others in the schools of Northern France, Gratian was the first to apply it to legal texts with the publication of his Decretum (ca. 1140). Because the Decretum was not just a collection of texts but an analysis of the sources and doctrines of ecclesiastical law, his book enjoyed immediate success across Europe. The Decretum was adopted by teachers from England to Italy and Germany to Spain. Gratian's successors later applied his methodology to the papal appellate decisions (decretals) that gradually became the foundation of canon law in the later Middle Ages.

In this volume, distinguished legal historians contribute noteworthy essays on the commentaries on Gratian, the beginnings of decretal collections and commentaries on them, and the importance of conciliar legislation for the growth of canon law. There are also chapters on the influence of Roman law on canon law and the teaching of canon law in law schools.

Contributors are James A. Brundage, Anne Duggan, Charles Duggan, A. García y García, Joseph Goering, Michael H. Hoeflich, Peter Landau, Wolfgang P. Müller, Jasonne M. Grabher, Kenneth Pennington, and Rudolf Weigand.

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The second part of the volume is about the course of events--ecclesiastical and secular--with regard to the papacy, the western empire (mainly Germany), Italy, France, Spain, the British Isles, Scandinavia, Hungary, Poland, the Byzantine empire and the settlements in Palestine and Syria established by the crusades and their Muslim neighbors. ... Read more

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This is a revised edition of "The Penguin Atlas of Medieval History". ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

Medieval Atlas
#I think that the other reviewers have covered this one pretty thoroughly, so I am here mostly just to agree with them-though it is pretty dated, the Atlas of Medieval History is an indispensible source covering trade routes, political maps, and history itself from 363 to 1478. I too appreciate how it focuses primarily on Europe, though not to the point of ignoring or unfairly portraying the rest of the world. For a beginner to medieval history, this book can really put things in perspective for you, covering all the duchies, states, and emirates spanning Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia, and North Africa in this period. A handy reference for a student or amateur historian.

Another superb historical atlas from Penguin
This entire series is superb and is absolutely essential for any lover of historical atlases. I have been an owner of virtually all of them for at ten years and I can honestly say that they are most read books of all that I own.

The reason is their unique portability and scope. Most historical atlas are huge, heavy and expensive. They are difficult to read unless you are sitting at a table and very difficult to carry. This limits their utility (even though I still love them). Most history books have lots of dense detail about one nation or one period. Virtually none cover the broad sweep of an entire region over centuries.

This atlas cover Europe, North Africa, and parts of western Russia, Iran and Arabia. It starts in 362 AD and 1478 and has a total of 40 maps. It is spaced approximately 50 years apart, although the exact date used varies.

Like all Penguin Historical Atlases, it is small, light, reasonably priced and incredibly broad in scope. These atlases offer a unique perspective on history than is otherwise impossible to achieve. Their size and weight make them perfect for travelling. Whenever I go on a trip, I take the most relevant ones with me. That way I can brush up on my history of the region.

The format is extremely useful. Each two-page layout represents a specific time period. On the right is a historical map. On the left is a very brief overview of the important events that happened since the previous map. Each event usually consists of one paragraph or at most a few paragraphs, just enough to peak the interest. Most of the maps document boundaries and note a few key cities or battlegrounds. Occasionally, the maps focus on population, religion or economics.

What is most fun for me is to trace the history or one nation, province or sub-region through the entire atlas. In just a few minutes I can learn as much as spending days reading an entire book. You can also see how individual nations interact with each other, a subject often left out of typical history books.

Excellent way to get an overview of Europe in the Middle Ages
This new edition of a classic overview of Medieval Europe is well worth the small price. It makes clear that the Middle Ages was a period of tremendous change and flux. Empires rose and fell almost overnight. Recommended for anyone who wants to more fully appreciate this period. (The maps and the text are all much better than in the previous edition, which was excellent.)

Great
If you want to learn about the who, what, when, and where [emphasis on the last two] of Europe/the Near East during the Middle Ages, then this is the book for you.

The maps are highly detailed; the text is informative and easy to read.You won't get lost in a labyrinth of meaningless jibberish.Buy this book--you will not be sorry.I promise.

Fascinating and wonderful book!
I read the old edition, from the library, and it is completely one of the most fascinating books I've ever read. It was recommended as background reading for a history of Western Christianity course I took. This book is perhaps not as furnished with specific details as some would prefer, but as a comprehensive overview of the Mediterranean world in the middle ages it is extremely successful. It is true that the book focuses only on Europe and the world specifically surrounding it (North Africa, the near East, Scandinavia and some of Russia) but I think it is also arguable that we consider "the medieval world" to be specifically that area in light of the social and cultural history associated with the Middle Ages. Using the same map over again is extremely useful and makes the book easy to understand (producing an enjoyable flip-book effect, as another reviewer said). The text is wonderful: though dense, it is extremely easy to understand and McEvedy brings an enjoyable personal flavor to his narration. The absence of most significant landmarks on the map is sometimes inconvenient; I found myself turning to the full map in the index quite frequently. However, I feel that not cluttering the maps with excess print is probably worth the inconvenience. Throughout the book, specific people are identified by an elaborate shading-and-bordering system that, once one has adjusted to it, makes reading the maps very easy. If you are looking for an informative and fantastically compelling broad history of the middle ages, this is a most desirable book.
... Read more

Product Description
Covering a thousand years of history, this richly illustrated volume tells the story of the creation of Western civilization in Europe and the Mediterranean. Written by noted scholars and based on the latest research, it offers the most authoritative account of life in medieval Europe from the fall of the Roman Empire to the coming of the Renaissance.
Exploring a period of profound diversity and change, the contributors focus on all aspects of medieval history from the empires and kingdoms of Charlemagne and the Byzantines to the new nations which fought the Hundred Years War; from the expression of religion in the great monasteries and cathedrals to the mixed ambitions of the Crusades; and from the cultural worlds of chivalric knights, popular festivals, and new art forms to the social catastrophe of the Black Death. Divided between the Mediterranean world and northern Europe, the six chapters in this book demonstrate the movement of the center of gravity in European life from the Mediterranean to the north. With over two hundred illustrations, including dozens in color, the volume also contains comprehensive reference material in maps, genealogies, a chronology, lists of further reading, and a full index. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Medieval Europe
Terrific pictures with informative text to go along with them.Highly recommend for those into the study of Medieval Europe.

The Oxford Illustrated History of Medieval Europe (Oxford Illustrated Histories)
The Oxford Illustrated History of Medieval Europe (Oxford Illustrated Histories) is very helpful and I love the richness of the pictures.

Survey writing is informative, not inspiring
High-level survey by multiple authors of Middle Ages from the Dark Ages to the Renaissance.As a survey, the writing doesn't inspire, but it does inform.See, for example, Morris Bishop's The Middle Ages for a history with a consistently higher level of writing.

Interesting is that Dark Ages weren't so dark, nor were they the result and fault of a repressive Christianity.The common folks of classic civilization lived lives just like the lives of those of the Dark Ages.

In fact, with the collapse of the Roman Empire and the rise and spread of Christianity, there was a flowering of study, history, and literature, much of liturgical or doctrinal, some heretical, some orthodox.Its was a battle for hearts and minds, waged of course among the smaller upper crust of literacy.

After the establishment of orthodoxy and the politicization of Christianity, literary and intellectual freedom did seem to decline, to a large part due to a bunker mentality on the part of a church attempting to maintain a separate by equal authority with and over secular empires and kings, and not helped by the east/west split between Rome and Constantinople, and the encroachment by Muslims from the east and literal barbarians from the north. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an introduction to the history of the Muslim East from the rise of Islam to the Mongol conquests. It explains and indicates the main trends of Islamic historical evolution during the Middle Ages, and will help the non-Orientalist to understand something of the relationship between Islam and Christendom in those centuries. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Questionable title
Aren't the words "Medieval Islam" a redundancy? When has Islam ever NOT been "Medieval"? For example, if you want to study the history of the "Dark Ages", you could study 8th and 9th century Europe, OR you could look at any Arab country today that's guided by Islamic ideas.

Early Islam
From the Dust Jacket: "This is an introduction to the history of the Muslim East from the rise of Islam to the Mongol conqusts. It explains and indicates the main trends of Islamic historical evolution during the Middle Ages, and will help the non-Orientalist to understand something of the relationship between Islam and Christendom in those centuries.Mr. Saunders discusses the mission of Muhammad, the Arab conqusts, the rise and decline of the empire of the Caliphs, the Isma'ilian schism and the Fatimid anti-Caliphate. He also deals with the coming of the Seljuk Turks, the Crusades and the Mongol invasions, and the character of the great Arabic civilization which led the world for so long and contributed to the Renaissance of Western Europe. The author expressly concentrates on general trends and patterns of evolution, but has nevertheless managed to convey a great deal of factual information as well as evaluation and interpretation. A distinctly clearer picture of the period as a whole and its significance in world history emerges from this book than from larger and more detailed works..." Contents include: Glossary; Dates; Arabia and her neighbors; Prophet; First conquests; Civil wars; Arab Empire; Abbasid Revolution; Breakup of the Caliphate; Isma'ilian Schism; Turkish irruption; Christian counter-attack; Mongol disaster; Civilization of Medieval Islam; Index." Illustrations include: 6 maps.

Nice introduction
Saunders has put together a nice introduction to the early history of the Islamic world.At two hundred pages it is longer than most authors of long works dedicate to this period, but still short enough so as not to overwhelm the reader with unfamiliar people and places.The best feature of Saunders treatment of this period is the manner in which he easily cuts through all the confusion of the many movements, particularly the various Shiite movements, to find the simplest way to explain them (and their importance).Saunders also raises the interesting point that the Arabs became the inheritors of Hellenism via Rome and Persia, although he does not examine this in much detail.Written in clear language, brief, concise, and efficient, this is a nice introduction to early Islamic society. ... Read more