Mediaeval Feudalism

"In the following pages I have tried to explain, as simply and concisely as possible, the historical significance of the feudal system.... My purpose has not been to give a comprehensive description of Europe in the feudal age, or even of feudal society. I have taken for granted that the reader will be familiar with the main political events of the Middle ages: the barbarian invasions, the formation of the Carolingian Empire, the establishment of the later monarchies, the Crusades, and the ...