The Oxford Illustrated History of Medieval Europe

by George Holmes

Overview

Covering a thousand years of history, this richly illustrated volume tells the story of the creation of Western civilization in Europe and the Mediterranean. Written by noted scholars and based on the latest research, it offers the most authoritative account of life in medieval Europe from the fall of the Roman Empire to the coming of the Renaissance.
Exploring a period of profound diversity and change, the contributors focus on all aspects of medieval history from the empires and kingdoms of Charlemagne and the Byzantines to the new nations which fought the Hundred Years War; from the expression of religion in the great monasteries and cathedrals to the mixed ambitions of the Crusades; and from the cultural worlds of chivalric knights, popular festivals, and new art forms to the social catastrophe of the Black Death. Divided between the Mediterranean world and northern Europe, the six chapters in this book demonstrate the movement of the center of gravity in European life from the Mediterranean to the north. With over two hundred illustrations, including dozens in color, the volume also contains comprehensive reference material in maps, genealogies, a chronology, lists of further reading, and a full index.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780192854353
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	05/24/2001
Series:	Oxford Illustrated History
Pages:	440
Sales rank:	1,091,311
Product dimensions:	9.60(w) x 7.40(h) x 0.90(d)
Lexile:	1490L (what's this?)

About the Author

Now retired, George Holmes was Chichele Professor of Medieval History at the University of Oxford.

Table of Contents

List of Colour PlatesList of Maps1. The Transformation of the Roman Mediterranean, 400-900, Thomas Brown2. The Northern World in the Dark Ages, 400-900, Edward James3. The Society of Northern Europe in the High Middle Ages, 900-1200, David Whitton4. Northern Europe Invades the Mediterranean, 900-1200, Rosemary Morris5. The Mediterranean in the Age of the Renaissance, 1200-1500, Peter Denley6. The Civilization of Courts and Cities in the North, 1200-1500, Malcolm ValeEditor's Postscript, George HolmesFurther ReadingChronologyIndex

Editorial Reviews

"The individual chapters are scholarly and up to the minute, without loss of accessibility or pace. The illustrations are many, apposite and refreshingly unhackneyed."—Times Literary Supplement

From the Publisher

Holmes et al. have produced an attractive account of medieval Europe from the fall of Rome to the eve of the Reformation. This popular history, well-written by professional historians, is for the intelligent general reader. The book conveys a good sense of the movement of events and the succession of great people, and it catches the economic, social, and intellectual structures which underpinned events. Noteworthy among the well-conceived chapters is Malcolm Vale's discussion of ``the eclipse of ecclesiastical power . . . especially papal power . . . and the expansion and elaboration of secular rule.'' Holmes concludes that this fragmented era laid the groundwork for the fertile period that followed. Maps, charts, and illustrations deserve high praise. Highly recommended. David Keymer, CUNY Coll. of Technology, Utica

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