A History of the Middle Ages, 300-1500

by John M. Riddle

This clear and comprehensive text covers the Middle Ages from the classical era to the late medieval period. Distinguished historian John Riddle provides a cogent analysis of the rulers, wars, and events-both natural and human-that defined the medieval era. Taking a broad geographical perspective, Riddle includes northern and eastern Europe, Byzantium, and the Islamic states. Each, he convincingly shows, offered values and institutions-religious devotion, toleration and intolerance, laws, ways of thinking, and changing roles of women-that presaged modernity. In addition to traditional topics of pen, sword, and word, the author explores other driving forces such as science, religion, and technology in ways that previous textbooks have not. He also examines such often-overlooked issues as medieval gender roles and medicine and seminal events such as the crusades from the vantage point of both Muslims and eastern and western Christians.

In addition to a thorough chronological narrative, the text offers humanizing features to engage students. Each chapter opens with a theme-setting vignette about the lives of ordinary and extraordinary people. The book also introduces students to key controversies and themes in historiography by featuring in each chapter a prominent medieval historian and how his or her ideas have shaped contemporary thinking about the Middle Ages. Richly illustrated, this lively, engaging book will immerse readers in the medieval world, an era that shaped the foundation for the modern world.

Genres: History, Medieval, Medieval History, Nonfiction

536 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

Reviews

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

A comprehensive overview at the Middle Ages in Europe and the Middle East, with sidebars highlighting individual historians and their contribution to the study of the time period. This is a serious history text book, but very readable. Rather than trying to define the character of a period lasting more than 1000 years, this book tracks trends in religion, governance, technology and social norms in different regions and peoples as they change and influence each other.

[Jim Swike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Returned by Library. Great resource about Middle Ages. Great for research on the topic and / or term paper. Enjoy!

[Brendan Steinhauser · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finished this sweeping history of the Middle Ages last night. It's a great primer for anyone interested in learning more about the broad history of this misunderstood time period. The reader will see how the 1200 years covered in this book fit together, and will learn about the major turning points in European, North African and Middle Eastern history. A History of the Middle Ages is a good start to a longer study of individual centuries, civilizations, kings, common people, and religious leaders. The book starts with the fall of Rome in the 300s and 400s, and continues all the way until the modern age. You will read about the Visigoths, Ostrogoths, Lombards, Huns, Celts, Anglo-Saxons, Arabs, Franks, and many other cultures of the time period. The reader will remember much of the events covered in the book from college and high school history courses, but will gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of this important time period in European, Middle Eastern and North African history. I highly recommend this book as the first step in many books to follow that go into more details about this fascinating time period.

[Little Timmy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good textbook. Excellent chapter layout and material. Very well written and reads well. Very recommended