shopping cart
Save up to 30% on our Staff Picks
Call us:  800-878-7323 HELP
McAfee SECURE helps keep you safe from identity theft, credit card fraud, spyware, spam, viruses and online scams.
Original Essays | December 12, 2009

Alexander McCall Smith: IMG The Courage of Others



I have recently written a novel about life in England during the Second World War. I felt some concern before I tackled this theme — the War... Continue »
  1. $16.76 Sale Hardcover add to wish list

    La's Orchestra Saves the World

    Alexander McCall Smith

Ships free on qualified orders.
Add to Cart
$6.98
List price: $13.95
Sale Trade Paper
Ships in 1 to 3 days
Add to Wishlist
Qty Store Section
2 Burnside Western Civilization- Medieval
1 Hawthorne Western Civilization- Medieval

This title in other formats:

The Last Knight: The Twilight of the Middle Ages and the Birth of the Modern Era

by Norman F Cantor

The Last Knight: The Twilight of the Middle Ages and the Birth of the Modern Era Cover

ISBN13: 9780060754037
ISBN10: 0060754036
Condition: Standard
All Product Details

Only 3 left in stock at $6.98!

Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

There may not be a more fascinating a historical period than the late fourteenth century in Europe. The Hundred Years' War ravaged the continent, yet gallantry, chivalry, and literary brilliance flourished in the courts of England and elsewhere. It was a world in transition, soon to be replaced by the Renaissance and the Age of Exploration — and John of Gaunt was its central figure.

In today's terms, John of Gaunt was a multibillionaire with a brand name equal to Rockefeller. He fought in the Hundred Years' War, sponsored Chaucer and proto-Protestant religious thinkers, and survived the dramatic Peasants' Revolt, during which his sumptuous London residence was burned to the ground. As head of the Lancastrian branch of the Plantagenet family, Gaunt was the unknowing father of the War of the Roses; after his death, his son usurped the crown from his nephew, Richard II. Gaunt's adventures represent the culture and mores of the Middle Ages as those of few others do, and his death is portrayed in The Last Knight as the end of that enthralling period.

About the Author

Norman F. Cantor was Emeritus Professor of History, Sociology, and Comparative Literature at New York University. His many books include In the Wake of the Plague, Inventing the Middle Ages, and The Civilization of the Middle Ages, the most widely read narrative of the Middle Ages in the English language. He died in 2004.

What Our Readers Are Saying

Add a comment for a chance to win!
Average customer rating based on 1 comment:
Jason Straight, April 6, 2009 (view all comments by Jason Straight)
Norman Cantor is certainly in his element with The Last Knight, which is a fascinating portrayal of the social, political, and cultural unrest of the 14th century through the lens of the notorious John of Gaunt. This book stands alongside classics like Barbara Tuchmann's "A Distant Mirror," in its portrayal of one of the pivotal periods of Western history.
Was this comment helpful? | Yes | No

Product Details

ISBN:
9780060754037
Subtitle:
The Twilight of the Middle Ages and the Birth of the Modern Era
Author:
Cantor, Norman F
Author:
Cantor, Norman F.
Author:
by Norman F. Cantor
Publisher:
Harper Perennial
Subject:
Royalty
Subject:
History
Subject:
Historical - British
Subject:
Medieval
Subject:
Civilization, medieval
Subject:
Renaissance
Subject:
Modern - General
Subject:
Europe History 476-1492.
Subject:
John
Edition Description:
Perennial
Publication Date:
June 2005
Binding:
Paperback
Grade Level:
General/trade
Language:
English
Illustrations:
Y
Pages:
260
Dimensions:
8.12x5.76x.72 in. .54 lbs.

Other books you might like

  1. $31.75 New Trade Paper add to wish list
  2. $7.98 Sale Trade Paper add to wish list

    Peoples & Empires

    Anthony Pagden
  3. $19.95 Used Trade Paper add to wish list
  4. $4.95 Used Trade Paper add to wish list
  5. $9.50 Used Trade Paper add to wish list
  6. $35.75 New Trade Paper add to wish list

Related Aisles

  • back to top

Powell's City of Books is an independent bookstore in Portland, Oregon, that fills a whole city block with more than a million new, used, and out of print books. Shop those shelves — plus literally millions more books, DVDs, and eBooks — here at Powells.com.