Chronicles: The Writing of History in Medieval England

by Christopher Given-Wilson

Overview

The priorities of medieval chroniclers and historians were not those of the modern historian, nor was the way that they gathered, arranged and presented evidence. Yet if we understand how they approached their task, and their assumption of God's immanence in the world, much that they wrote becomes clear. Many of them were men of high intelligence whose interpretation of events sheds clear light on what happened. Chris Given-Wilson is one of the leading authorities on medieval English historical writing. He examines how medieval writers such as William of Malmesbury and Adam of Usk treated chronology and geography, politics and warfare, heroes and villains. He looks at the ways in which chronicles were used during the middle ages, and at how the writing of history changed between the twelfth and fifteenth centuries.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781852855833
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	04/10/2007
Pages:	320
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.68(d)

About the Author

Christopher Given-Wilson is Professor of Late Medieval History at the University of St. Andrews. He is the author of The English Nobility in the Late Middle Ages, Chronicles of Revolution, 1397-1400 and editor of The Chronicle of Adam Usk. He is also General Editor of The Parliament Rolls of Medieval England.

Table of Contents

Illustrations
Preface
Abbreviations
Introduction
1. Telling the Truth
2. Godwitness Testimonity
3. Memory and Usefulness
4 Genealogy and Institutional History
5 The Deeds of Warriors
6. Time and Place
7. Language, Forma and Identity
8. English History in the Later Middle Ages
Notes
Bibliography
Index