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The Worlds of Medieval Europe
The Worlds of Medieval Europe updates and revises traditional textbook representations of the Middle Ages by balancing the conventional focus on political affairs, especially those of northern Europe, with equally detailed attention to medieval society as it developed in the Mediterranean. The
result is a nuanced portrayal of a multifarious western world that was sharply divided between its northern and southern aspects. By also integrating the histories of the Islamic and Byzantine world into the main narrative, the text brings new life to the continuum of interaction--social, cultural,
and intellectual, as well as commercial--that existed among all three societies. In addition, it describes ways in which the medieval Latin West attempted to understand the unified and rational structure of the human cosmos, which they believed existed beneath the observable diversity and disorder
of the world. This effort to re-create a human ordering of "unity through diversity" provides an essential key to understanding medieval Europe and the ways in which it regarded and reacted to the worlds around it. The Worlds of Medieval Europe is an ideal text for undergraduate courses in medieval
history, Western civilization, the history of Christianity, and Muslim-Christian relations. It also serves as an excellent supplement for courses on the history of a specific country in the medieval period, the history of medieval art, or the history of the European economy.
result is a nuanced portrayal of a multifarious western world that was sharply divided between its northern and southern aspects. By also integrating the histories of the Islamic and Byzantine world into the main narrative, the text brings new life to the continuum of interaction--social, cultural,
and intellectual, as well as commercial--that existed among all three societies. In addition, it describes ways in which the medieval Latin West attempted to understand the unified and rational structure of the human cosmos, which they believed existed beneath the observable diversity and disorder
of the world. This effort to re-create a human ordering of "unity through diversity" provides an essential key to understanding medieval Europe and the ways in which it regarded and reacted to the worlds around it. The Worlds of Medieval Europe is an ideal text for undergraduate courses in medieval
history, Western civilization, the history of Christianity, and Muslim-Christian relations. It also serves as an excellent supplement for courses on the history of a specific country in the medieval period, the history of medieval art, or the history of the European economy.
480 pages, Paperback
First published August 16, 2002
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
June 8, 2021
A clear, comprehensive overview of the medieval period that sets the larger events in context, while also providing details that give a vivid picture of people’s experiences. An amazing, readable textbook.
January 10, 2017
The medieval period has always held a fascination for me, but it's also a period of history that I've found it very difficult to get my head around. The fall of the Roman Empire paved the way for a swirl of obscure tribes to run riot across the continent of Europe, before they eventually settled down into patterns of equally obscure fiefdoms, before these - in turn - gave rise to transient kingdoms and federations, most of which left little trace on the modern map of Europe. Some, like the Franks and the Celts, are familiar, but most slip from my memory as soon as I turn to the next page. Certain figures, like Clovis and Charlemagne, stand out as having done something important (even if I never quite understood what), but the rest of the figures from medieval history come across as an indistinguishable shower of mononyms and Roman numerals.
I doubt this will ever change for me, unfortunately, but this book is certainly the best I've come across in terms of being able to puncture the alien obscurity of what took place in Europe between (approximately) the fall of Rome and the fall of Constantinople. Backman doesn't try to do anything too outlandish here: this is a rather straight, chronological narrative, with the occasional detour into certain areas of focus (philosophy, art, everyday life etc.). What makes this book great, though, is Backman's ability to lucidly convey - as the title promises - "the worlds of medieval Europe". The medieval era, such that it is, isn't presented here as a uniform epoch, but as an epoch as complex, varied and as shifting as our own. Each piece of the puzzle gets the full, independent treatment it deserves, and is placed in its proper context.
The crusades, for example, are not recounted as a banal series of military conflicts, but rather as the almost the almost inevitable culmination of an age of chivalry, growing political alliances and a reascendant church. The horrors of the 14th century - with its sporadic pandemics and economic collapse - are brought to life (so to speak) alongside vivid descriptions of the squalor of urban life. The renaissance is presented not as a spontaneous explosion of culture, but rather as the flourishing of intellectual trends that had been gestating for centuries. And so on.
Throughout, the author maintains a straightforward, direct and - at times - humorous manner of writing, without falling into the trap of getting too lax or conversational with the reader. At times I found myself binge-reading through this book as one would a novel, which is a testament to how well-written it is. In short, it's comfortably the best book on medieval history I've ever read, and one that I'd recommend even to those who wouldn't normally find themselves interested in this period of history.
I doubt this will ever change for me, unfortunately, but this book is certainly the best I've come across in terms of being able to puncture the alien obscurity of what took place in Europe between (approximately) the fall of Rome and the fall of Constantinople. Backman doesn't try to do anything too outlandish here: this is a rather straight, chronological narrative, with the occasional detour into certain areas of focus (philosophy, art, everyday life etc.). What makes this book great, though, is Backman's ability to lucidly convey - as the title promises - "the worlds of medieval Europe". The medieval era, such that it is, isn't presented here as a uniform epoch, but as an epoch as complex, varied and as shifting as our own. Each piece of the puzzle gets the full, independent treatment it deserves, and is placed in its proper context.
The crusades, for example, are not recounted as a banal series of military conflicts, but rather as the almost the almost inevitable culmination of an age of chivalry, growing political alliances and a reascendant church. The horrors of the 14th century - with its sporadic pandemics and economic collapse - are brought to life (so to speak) alongside vivid descriptions of the squalor of urban life. The renaissance is presented not as a spontaneous explosion of culture, but rather as the flourishing of intellectual trends that had been gestating for centuries. And so on.
Throughout, the author maintains a straightforward, direct and - at times - humorous manner of writing, without falling into the trap of getting too lax or conversational with the reader. At times I found myself binge-reading through this book as one would a novel, which is a testament to how well-written it is. In short, it's comfortably the best book on medieval history I've ever read, and one that I'd recommend even to those who wouldn't normally find themselves interested in this period of history.
March 11, 2015
I will examine Content, Tone and Polish and then assign a grade.
CONTENT
The book's reach in regards to time is the tail end of the Roman Imperial period to just before the 15th century Renaissance and its reach in regards to space is from the Iberian Peninsula to Central Asia, and from Norway to North Africa. Mr. Backman does not regard Medieval Europe as existing on its own but as a part of this wider world.
The book's theme is less about narrating the events that happen but more about how these events fit in with the society, influence it, and are influenced by it. "Gestalt" is the word I'd use to describe the book's focus. In other words, how the machinery of Medieval European Society functioned in addition to all it's little gears and what this created.
There is a great deal of information here. It's about the time, the society, the economy, the religious life, the cultural life, along with farmers, merchants, nobles, priests, sailors contrasted with each other. As many as three chapters will go over the same time period in order to examine them from different angles.
TONE
Forget all stereotypes about academic books being stifling or dry. This one is remarkably engaging. There is a strong writer's voice present that make it like a storyteller instead of a historian, and yet it remains objective.
Footnotes have jokes in them. A good chunk of them exist solely to provide some historical fun fact or for Mr. Backmann to make some humorous illustration of a point.
POLISH
No spelling or grammar errors. There's a good use of images.
Trickster Eric Novels gives "Worlds of Medieval Europe" an A+
CONTENT
The book's reach in regards to time is the tail end of the Roman Imperial period to just before the 15th century Renaissance and its reach in regards to space is from the Iberian Peninsula to Central Asia, and from Norway to North Africa. Mr. Backman does not regard Medieval Europe as existing on its own but as a part of this wider world.
The book's theme is less about narrating the events that happen but more about how these events fit in with the society, influence it, and are influenced by it. "Gestalt" is the word I'd use to describe the book's focus. In other words, how the machinery of Medieval European Society functioned in addition to all it's little gears and what this created.
There is a great deal of information here. It's about the time, the society, the economy, the religious life, the cultural life, along with farmers, merchants, nobles, priests, sailors contrasted with each other. As many as three chapters will go over the same time period in order to examine them from different angles.
TONE
Forget all stereotypes about academic books being stifling or dry. This one is remarkably engaging. There is a strong writer's voice present that make it like a storyteller instead of a historian, and yet it remains objective.
Footnotes have jokes in them. A good chunk of them exist solely to provide some historical fun fact or for Mr. Backmann to make some humorous illustration of a point.
POLISH
No spelling or grammar errors. There's a good use of images.
Trickster Eric Novels gives "Worlds of Medieval Europe" an A+
July 10, 2013
Such a great textbook to learn the basis of medieval Europe. I read this book for my medieval history class, which was actually taught by Clifford Backman, and was impressed at its content. Although this was considered as a textbook, it is not a normal textbook. Backman inserts witty statements and this book was written like a conversation. There are many interesting points he makes and his word usage was phenomenal. I would recommend this book to any adult who wants to learn medieval history in Europe. Their historical background does not matter. I read this book with little background of medieval history and it was a breeze for me.
April 26, 2019
A good summary of medieval history, written in a funny and accesible way!
November 11, 2018
Clifford Backman has set the standard for a survey of medieval Europe. His information is holistic, detailed, and easy to read. History students who are studying medieval Europe should read this book -- first and foremost. The book is certainly long, but there is truly a wealth of content that encapsulates the topic. The Worlds of Medieval Europe has what I needed to begin my studies on medieval Europe, and it will do the same for you.
February 3, 2021
Really great introduction to medieval Europe IMO, I'm certainly not an expert in the field so I can't critique the book on that level but it's very readable while also being comprehensive. There were some parts that interested me more than others, but that's to be expected with such a broad subject. If you're interested in medieval history, I really recommend this book–I'm giving it 4 stars because it's not as mind-blowing as my 5s, but it's more like a 9/10.
March 30, 2013
I have chosen Backman as the narrative historical textbook for my upcoming medieval history course at Cal State San Bernardino; it was also assigned in the church history course at Yale Divinity School for which I was a teaching assistant in 2011. Backman blends political events with a nuanced understanding of structural history successfully keeps European history contextualized by the parallel development of the Byzantine and Islamic worlds. I highly recommend this book as a single-volume introduction to medieval history.
June 7, 2011
A very good intro to medieval history. It can be a bit light on substantive detail (especially on the political end) and it rushes its coverage of the 14th and 15th centuries, but its tone is great: intelligent but never stuffy, light and engaging but never trivial. He's a little bit mean to Dante though, and that makes me sad.
May 2, 2015
A curious traveler's map to the so-called "Dark Age" (which is a misnomer). Well-organized, good big-picture analysis, and remarkably good prose.
I particularly like the part discussing High Middle Age and 12th century revival. One is reminded that Renaissance in 15th century didn't come out of thin air, but was built on earlier foundation.
I particularly like the part discussing High Middle Age and 12th century revival. One is reminded that Renaissance in 15th century didn't come out of thin air, but was built on earlier foundation.
December 12, 2018
Read this for my Medieval Studies class and it was really good. It had a lot of information packed into it but it was good at breaking it down to key points and making sure the concepts were clear. If you want to know about the middle ages and everything that went into that period, this is definitely the book for you.
April 21, 2020
نظرة عامة على القرون الوسطى في أروبا. دراسة استقصائية جيدة جدا حول الاحداث في ذلك الوقت للذين يهتمون بهذة الفترة بالذات او ترتبط دراستهم بشكل أو بآخر بهذة الأحداث بما فيها التاريخ الإسلامي في الأندلس و الحروب الصليبية.
February 17, 2013
This is an excellent overview of the Medieval Period in Europe. Wide-ranging, engagingly written, and with an excellent list of sources at the end of each chapter.
November 16, 2014
One of my favorite history books ever! I've been searching for this one for awhile. It is entertaining as well as informative.
April 8, 2016
It was a good textbook. I really enjoy my medieval history courses the most of all my courses and this one did not disappoint!
January 5, 2016
This is a thorough review of medieval Europe. Very well organized, with fun footnote. Lots of great images, maps, and great references.
July 3, 2017
The best single-volume medieval history, written in an extraordinarily engaging style.
September 9, 2024
The only textbook I kept from college. This book is as charming and accessible as I remember it.
April 23, 2023
“A strong though still under-appreciated Jewish element factored into the efflorescence of science. Jewish scholars were among the leaders in Greek-to-Arabic and Arabic-to-Latin translations, and they were also active in producing original works of their own, most of which were never translated out of Hebrew in the Middle Ages. Even prior to the rise of Islam, there were scores of original mathematical and astronomical treatises penned by Jews, primarily in the cities of Byzantium. Most of these early works are anonymous. An exception is an early medical encyclopedia by Asaph “the Physician” that draws equally on Greek medicine and Talmudic teaching; it dates from around 600 and was probably written in Syria” (304). The “encyclopedia” referred to here is Sefer Refuot, and its attribution to Assaf/Asaph/אסף/Asif/آصف is actually a matter of some contention (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...), and it may as well be anonymous. I’ve got a feeling there are other minor inaccuracies in Clifford’s work, and one can always nitpick. In any case, The Worlds of Medieval Europe still manages to be an okay survey, at times really lovely in its lucidity and refreshing in its directness.
February 1, 2020
Read most of this book and found it a fantastic resource for studying medieval history. It begins with the last stages of the Roman Empire and continues until the fall of Byzantium. As this is a large span history to cover in ~500 pages, the chapters are brief but focus on the major themes of the period. The book is best read in sections, rather than from beginning to end. What I enjoyed particularly were the suggested readings at the end of every chapter. It recommends primary texts, anthologies, as well as further reading for the time period. I recommend this book to anyone who is looking for an introduction to medieval Europe as a whole, and for those who need help narrowing down their period of study.
April 20, 2021
Its is pretty good for a tertiary source. Very dense at times but a manageable read that makes medieval things easy to understand. My rating is based on the content within the book and how much I learned from it. Not how much I enjoyed reading it because I definitely wouldn't have read it if it wasn't required.
June 26, 2024
An exceptionally well-written and well-researched work on the European Middle Ages (circa 500 A.D. to circa 1500 A.D.). Sent the author an email after finishing it to thank him for having written it. Engaging, insightful, and at times humorous, this is academic historical writing at its finest.
September 4, 2020
An excellent review of Medieval European history that is comprehensive and rigorous without being dry or dull.
November 9, 2020
very dry text and hard to get through. I already knew most of this, but it works as a general textbook
November 8, 2022
Textbook, but quite readable. Theology, economy, military, culture, and lots more theology.
Little Free Library book.
Little Free Library book.
June 8, 2025
Mandatory textbook, surprised it was actually enjoyable too!
February 13, 2025
Very well written and enjoyable history of the medieval european word. Dedicates a lot of time to the history of the church, which is fitting considering its influence. I have actually read this book twice, once as a textbook in school, and a second time because of how much I enjoyed it during my classes.
April 29, 2013
First college textbook that I was required to read cover-to-cover.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews