Synopses & Reviews
re-creates one of the great ages of European civilization through a sequence of spectacular images accompanied by a lively, informed commentary. Organized by topic and thoroughly cross-referenced, this comprehensive volume enables the reader to explore and understand every facet of the Middle Ages, an era of breathtaking artistic achievement and religious faith in a world where life was often coarse and cruel, cut short by war, famine, and disease. Framed by chapters that bracket the beginning and the end of this misunderstood period, covers religion and the Church, nations and laws, daily life, art and architecture, scholarship and philosophy, and the world beyond Christendom. The book is completed by biographies of key personalities, from Charlemagne to Wycliffe, as well as timelines, maps, a glossary, a gazetteer, and a bibliography.
Synopsis
"Covers the whole range of medieval life from cartography to castles, from the sacraments to sexuality . . . A revelation and a pleasure." --
About the Author
Robert Bartlett is a professor of medieval history at the University of St. Andrews, Scotland. His books on medieval history include The Making of Europe, winner of the Wolfson Literary Award for History, and The Natural and the Supernatural in the Middle Ages.