Medieval History For Dummies - Softcover

Batchelor, Stephen

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0470747838 ISBN 13: 9780470747834

Publisher: For Dummies, 2010

Synopsis

Is your knowledge of The Crusades less than tip-top? Maybe you're curious about Columbus, or you're desperate to read about the Black Death in all its gory detail? Whatever your starting point, this expert guide has it all - from kings, knights and anti-Popes, to invasion, famine, the Magna Carta and Joan of Arc (and a few rebellious peasants thrown in for good measure!). Get ready for a rip-roaring ride through the political, religious and cultural life of the Middle Ages, one of the most talked-about periods in history.

 

Medieval History for Dummies includes:

Part I: The Early Middle Ages
Chapter 1: The Middle Ages: When, Where, What, Who?
Chapter 2: The end of Rome and the not so ‘Dark Ages'.
Chapter 3: Angles, Saxons and Feudalism.
Chapter 4: The Carolingians grab their chance.
Chapter 5: Charlemagne - A new empire is born.

Part II: The Making of Europe
Chapter 6: The (Holy Roman) Empire Strikes Back.
Chapter 7: East Meets West: Islam in the Western Mediterranean.
Chapter 8: The Vikings: A threat from the north.
Chapter 9: Schism: The Church splits itself in two.
Chapter 10: The Normans:  The ‘real' Middle Ages begin.

Part III: ‘Holy War': Crusading at home and abroad.
Chapter 11: Crusade: A call to arms.
Chapter 12: The First Crusade
Chapter 13: England vs France & Pope vs Emperor
Chapter 14: The Second Crusade & The ‘Crusades at Home'
Chapter 15: Richard vs Saladin: The Third Crusade
Chapter 16: The later Crusades and other failures.

Part IV: Parliament, Priories, Provisions & Plague
Chapter 17:  John, Henry, Rudolf & Edward.
Chapter 18: Monks & Merchants: The new power brokers
Chapter 19: The Papacy on Tour: Avignon and the Anti-Popes
Chapter 20: ‘God's Judgement?': The Black Death

Part V: The End of the Middle and the start of discovery.
Chapter 21: One Hundred Years of War
Chapter 22: The Peasants are Revolting
Chapter 23: Agincourt, Joan of Arc & the French recovery
Chapter 24: Columbus & The New World

Part VI: The Part of Tens
Chapter 25: Ten Rubbish Kings
Chapter 26: Ten Curious Medieval Pastimes
Chapter 27: Ten Great Castles
Chapter 28: Ten People Who Changed The World
Chapter 29: Ten Great Books (To read next)

About this title

From the Back Cover

Rattle through 1000 years of horrible history, from the fifth century to the sixteenth century

Famine, plague and public execution – the medieval period wasn't the best time for some, but heroic rulers like Charlemagne, William the Conqueror and Henry V made sure that it was full of action. Brimming with facts, this book helps you get under the skin of the people who lived at the time, from impoverished peasants to opulent monarchs. From the Dark Ages to the Renaissance and all the upheavals in between, this book takes the pain out of medieval history.

• The Black Death – assess the deadly pandemic that swept through Britain and Europe killing millions of people

• The Holy Roman Empire strikes back – understand how the empire fought to maintain its position

• Falling apart – witness the arrival of powerful armies from the east and invaders from the north, and the dramatic effects of religious schisms

• Heading for the Holy Land – uncover the reasons why crusading became so popular, and ultimately so unsuccessful, between the eleventh and fourteenth centuries

• Living in the medieval world – understand the lives of monks and monarchs, peasants and popes, and travellers and traders of the period

• Waging conflicts, battles and wars – a look through the troubles that shaped the medieval age; from the fall of the Roman Empire to the Wars of the Roses

Open the book and find:

• Why the peasants revolted

• Where Chaucer gained inspiration to write The Canterbury Tales

• Which religious groups fought for power

• How the Magna Carta shaped our present-day legal system

• Why the Vikings may have got to America before Columbus

• Profiles of the best and worst medieval monarchs

• How Joan of Arc made her name

• The great and grisly histories of surviving medieval castles

Go to Dummies.com® for videos, step-by-step examples, how-to articles or to shop!

About the Author

Stephen Batchelor is Head of School for Creative and Visual Arts at MidKent College and has taught ancient history and classical studies for many years. Stephen has written book reviews for Current Archaeology and History Today, and is the author of The Ancient Greeks For Dummies.

Edition details

• Publisher: For Dummies
• Publication date: 2010
• ISBN 10: 0470747838
• ISBN 13: 9780470747834
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 416