Medieval Books

 
DK Eyewitness Books: MEDIEVAL LIFE 
From Kirkus Reviews
This sweeping visual presentation of medieval life in Europe demonstrates the strengths and weaknesses of historical titles in the Eyewitness series. A thousand years of European history are spanned in relatively few pages of briefly captioned, brightly colored photographs and reproductions.

 
The Medieval Flower Book
Product Description
In our modern world, the spiny-stemmed flowers, intertwined leaves, and delicate pink blossoms of the rubus fruticosus, or common blackberry bramble, might catch the eye of the casual observer or weekend gardener. Pleasant, prolific, and decorative, plants like the blackberry are looked upon as sources for harvest, landscape, and visual pleasure.

 
The Jew in the Medieval World: A Source Book, 315-1791
From the Publisher
First published in 1938, Jacob Rader Marcus's classic source book presents 137 documents that deal with individual Jews and the Jewish community during the Jewish Middle Ages

 
 Castle: Medieval Days and Knights (A Sabuda & Reinhart Pop-up Book)
 From School Library Journal
Grade 2-5–Chatty text and cleanly designed pop-up illustrations provide a hasty overview of life during the Middle Ages. Spreads briefly cover the construction and exterior footprint of a fortress; rooms (from the chapel above to the dungeon below); jobs performed by craftsmen and inhabitants; knighthood, armor, and weapons; a tournament; and a feast. Information is presented in a smoothly flowing narrative that tends toward the enthusiastic (Without an impressive and impregnable castle, you'd be in danger of losing your crown, your title, your lands…even your head!).


The Story of a Great Medieval Book: Peter Lombard's 'Sentences' (Rethinking the Middle Ages)
Review
The Story of a Great Medieval Book will be of great interest to students of the history of theology as well as for those interested in intellectual history more generally.

 
Medieval Warfare Source Book: Warfare In Western Christendom (v. 1)
Product Description
Covering the period between the 5th and 15th centuries this volume charts the peoples, armies, weapons, strategies, fortifications and leaders of warfare in Europe. Biographies of important characters of the period are included, with lists on heraldry, military theory, morale and motivation.

 
 The Book of Memory: A Study of Memory in Medieval Culture (Cambridge Studies in Medieval Literature)
Review
"I have been looking at medieval illuminations for years, but after reading what Mary Carruthers has to say about them (well illustrated by thirty reproductions) I can never look at them in quite the same way again....A short review can do no more than scratch the surface of this profound book." Canadian Journal of History


Medieval Mosaic: A Book of Medieval Latin Readings
Product Description
A reader of medieval Latin texts, from early Christianity to the Renaissance, with notes, suitable for intermediate Latin students, consisting of more than 200 selections.


The Prymer: The Prayer Book of the Medieval Era Adapted for Contemporary Use
Waldron crafts some superb phrases and includes a beautiful two-page description of the healing relationship between prayer and depression. -- Publishers Weekly, February 4, 2002
 

The Tainted Relic (Medieval Murderers Group 1) 
Excerpt from Costumer's review
This is the first work in historical murder mystery I have ever seen with multiple authors writing on the same theme.

 
The Book of Sent Sovi­: Medieval recipes from Catalonia (Textos B)
Product Description
The Book of Sent Sovi, composed around the middle of the fourteenth century, is the oldest surviving culinary text in Catalan. It is anonymous and, like the majority of medieval cookery books, is the product of a complex process of transmission, with multiple manuscript copies and readers who have left their mark on it.


Tyrant of the Mind (Medieval Mystery Book 2) 
From Booklist
This second medieval mystery featuring the delightfully flawed Eleanor, Prioress of Tyndal, grabs readers by the lapels and forcibly hauls them into eleventh-century East Anglia.

 
House of Shadows (Historical Mystery Series) 
Product Description

Bermondsey Priory, 1114: A young chaplain succumbs to the temptations of the flesh and suffers a gruesome punishment. From that moment the monastery is cursed and over the next 500 years, murder and treachery abound inside its hallowed walls. A beautiful young bride found dead two days before her wedding; a ghostly figure warns of impending doom; there is a plot to depose King Edward II; all the while mad monks and errant priests abound. Even the poet Chaucer finds himself drawn into the dark deeds and violent death which pervade this unhappy place.

The Spirit of Mediaeval Philosophy 
Product Description
In this translation of Etienne Gilson's well known work L'esprit de la philosophie medievale, he undertakes the task of defining the spirit of mediaeval philosophy.

 
 The Commander's Desire 
Review
Five Stars
"The Commander's Desire is a historical novel that reaches you deep down to your soul....Simply stated, I loved this book. No matter what genre you read or what heat level you enjoy, you will be enthralled with The Commander's Desire. You will feel their emotions, understand their sorrows and celebrate their victories. It definitely stays on my shelf."


The Romance of Arthur, New, Expanded Edition: An Anthology of Medieval Texts in Translation (Garland Medieval Texts)
Product Description
Here are some of the most important works of medieval Arthurian literature in fresh, new translations that convey the development of King Arthur from Latin chronicles and Celtic mythology into the romantic king of late-medieval literature.

 
The Cambridge Companion to Medieval Romance (Cambridge Companions to Literature) 
Review
"an excellent introduction...and a valuable resource." Choice


Kingdom of Arnhem Book One: Woman of Honor (The Kingdom of Arnhem)
Product Description
Aislinn of Bairbhe dreams of becoming a lady knight to honor the death of her fallen brother. To her mother's horror, King Patrick grants Aislinn's wish and she begins her long years of training.

 
Circle of Honor (The Scottish Crown Series, Book 1)
Product Description
A RIVETING STORY OF BETRAYAL AND LOVE ON THE HIGHLANDS OF MEDIEVAL SCOTLAND


The Greek Alexander Romance (Penguin Classics)
Product Description
Mystery surrounds the parentage of Alexander, the prince born to Queen Olympias. Is his father Philip, King of Macedonia, or Nectanebo, the mysterious sorcerer who seduced the queen by trickery?

 
Draegon's Lair 
Product Description
England-1094. Draegon of Greystone, a reclusive lord, has settled into his life, concealing his face from all save his steward and good friend, Diminimis. Draegon s ice green eyes are testimony to the innate evil within him the same eyes as those of the only kin he remembers a killer. It is why he is rarely seen without cover of a hooded cloak why he relishes storms. During the onset of a storm, he can roam the lands without concealment because all others are taking shelter in their lodges.

 
Seven Viking Romances (Penguin Classics)
Product Description
Combining traditional myth, oral history and re-worked European legend to depict an ancient realm of heroism and wonder, the seven tales collected here are among the most fantastical of all the Norse romances.

 
The History of the Medieval World: From the Conversion of Constantine to the First Crusade
From Publishers Weekly
Bauer (The History of the Ancient World) continues her witty and well-written examination of world history with a volume that is rich in detail and intriguing in anecdotal information. In describing dramatic events (such as the worldwide –impact of the eruption of Krakatoa in 535 C.E., or civil war among the descendants of Charlemagne), near-legendary individuals (like the great general turned mercenary El Cid), and decisive historical movements from the fourth century C.E. to the beginnings of the 12th century, attention is effectively paid not only to western and eastern Europe but to North Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, the Far East, South Asia, and the Americas.

 
 The Worlds of Medieval Europe 
 From Publishers Weekly
Bauer (The History of the Ancient World) continues her witty and well-written examination of world history with a volume that is rich in detail and intriguing in anecdotal information. In describing dramatic events (such as the worldwide –impact of the eruption of Krakatoa in 535 C.E., or civil war among the descendants of Charlemagne), near-legendary individuals (like the great general turned mercenary El Cid), and decisive historical movements from the fourth century C.E. to the beginnings of the 12th century, attention is effectively paid not only to western and eastern Europe but to North Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, the Far East, South Asia, and the Americas.

 
A World Lit Only by Fire: The Medieval Mind and the Renaissance: Portrait of an Age 
Amazon.com Review
It speaks to the failure of medieval Europe, writes popular historian William Manchester, that "in the year 1500, after a thousand years of neglect, the roads built by the Romans were still the best on the continent."

 
 The Medieval World View: An Introduction
Review
"Provides the student with an introduction to the Medieval world that is both sophisticated and comprehensible. The bibliography is excellent! It offers a good background to those who study the development of Christian thought."--Ann McKean, Christian Brothers College

 
The Medieval World 
Product Description

Thundering hooves, shining armor, and magnificent fortresses . . . the medieval age still fascinates young readers. Heraldry, knights, castles, battles, hawking and hunting, sieges, and holy wars -- it's all here in this fascinating book that takes readers back through the centuries to medieval times. Fans of the chivalrous age will learn how a young page trained for knighthood, what it was like to ride into battle, how a castle was equipped for a siege, and much, much more.

 

History of Private Life, Volume II: Revelations of the Medieval World 

From Publishers Weekly

People of the Middle Ages were suspicious of solitude. Feudal dwellings were promiscuously crowded, monastery layouts reflected a fear of isolation. Yet, the idea of privacy, linked to an inner life, stubbornly took root. Intimacy found expression in peasant hearths, in orchards where lovers embraced, in noble households with their areas for retreat, in towers and fortresses that gave ordinary people a refuge from the havoc of war.

 

 Warfare in the Medieval World 
Product Description
Warfare in the Medieval World explores how civilizations and cultures made war on the battlefields of the Near East and Europe in the period between the fall of Rome and the introduction of reliable gunpowder weapons during the Thirty Years War. Through an exploration of thirty-three selected battles, military historian Brian Todd Carey surveys the changing tactical relationships between the four weapon systems-heavy and light infantry and heavy and light cavalry - focusing on the evolution of shock and missile combat.

 

Medieval Warfare 
Review
'Few would disagree that medieval military history is one of the most vibrant genres of medieval studies. Helen Nicholson, with her numerous studies on Military Orders, is one of the most prolific reasons for this vibrancy. Now she has turned her innumerable scholarly talents to the writing of a general study on medieval warfare.

 
Western Warfare in the Age of the Crusades, 1000-1300
Review
'I am full of admiration for this excellent story of the practice of warfare in the Central Middle Ages. It is a work of both scholarship and synthesis, full of insight, and communicated in an accessible and professional way.' - Norman Housley, University of London --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

 
Samurai, Warfare and the State in Early Medieval Japan (Warfare and History) 
Review
'Friday's book is elegantly written, well informed on Japanese research, and backed by abundant quotes from the relevant original sources. His frequent comparisons with European history are well chosen, his arguments convincing.' - Monumenta Nipponica

 
Medicine in the Crusades: Warfare, Wounds and the Medieval Surgeon 
Review
"...a stimulating book...A diligent and generally careful study of a substantial corpus of works...provide a sound historical basis; integrated with this is an array of archaeological evidence...the scene is set for a comprehensive study of the subject...an original and significant book, breaking fresh ground for the history of the crusades and medieval Europe."
-Jonathan Phillips, Royal Holloway, University of London, Journal of Military History

  
By Sword and Fire: Cruelty and Atrocity in Medieval Warfare (Cassell Military Paperbacks) Product Description: For all the talk of chivalry, medieval warfare routinely involved acts that we would consider war crimes. Lands laid waste, civilians slaughtered, prisoners massacred: this was standard fare justified by tradition and military necessity. This popular history examines the battles of Acre and Agincourt; sieges like Béziers, Lincoln, Jerusalem, and Limoges; and the infamous chevauchées of the Hundred Years War that devastated great swathes of France. A vivid, all-encompassing portrait of war in the Middle Ages.

 
A Companion to Medieval Art: Romanesque and Gothic in Northern Europe (Blackwell Companions to Art History) 
Review
“The 30 incisive and methodologically sophisticated essays in this Companion boldly refashion and redescribe an entire field of study: a must-read for any and all fascinated by art history’s powers to explain and illuminate.” Judson J. Emerick, Pomona College

 
Byzantium: The Surprising Life of a Medieval Empire
Review
The scope and shape of Herrin's survey of Byzantine history and culture are impressive. She moves from the foundation of Constantinople to its fall before the Turks in a series of twenty-eight short chapters. This allows the curious or impatient reader to sample, according to taste, such delectable topics as Greek fire, eunuchs, icons, and the Towers of Trebizond . . .
(G.W. Bowersock New York Review of Books )

 
The Medieval Empire of the Israelites 
Product Description
The book The Medieval Empire of the Israelites pertains to the bloc of historical literature on the reconsideration of history that was started in the beginning of the ‘90s by Dr. Anatoly Fomenko. Our book proposes to the reader an in-depth analysis of ancient and early medieval events and a new original reconstruction of world history.
The book's name, The Medieval Empire of the Israelites reflects its main idea. In the opinion of the authors, the first empire in the history of mankind was formed in the Middle Ages under the name Israel, in which monotheism and proto-Judaism became the predominant religion. The authors have succeeded in drawing up their own original concept thanks to the works of many of history’s revisionists, who have shown convincingly that the history known to all of us was built on a mistaken chronology and hundreds of forged sources. The authors successively, in a multitude of facts, while engaging the writings of dozens of authors of different times, show that it is a question not of Jews in the modern understanding of this word, but about the followers of monotheism-about the representatives of all the tribes and peoples of that epoch.
Today many people of Asia, India and Southeast Asia rank themselves among the lost tribes of Israel, although they long since have been practicing other religions. Judaism’s influence is traced distinctly even in the Shinto religion of Japan and the beliefs of the peoples of South America. The ruling dynasties of a whole series of states considered and do consider their ancestors as representatives of the Israelites, in particular, of Afghanistan and Ethiopia. The first rulers of such countries as Rumania, Hungary and Austria also ranked themselves among the Israelites according to faith. All this is shown in the very first chapter, "The Mysterious Prevalence of Judaism."
All the fundamental political, financial and societal structures which are characteristic for modern states originated in the first world empire. The chapters, "The Main Features of an Empire," "The Vertical Line of Power," "Money for the Empire," and "The Empire’s Heirs" are devoted to them.
A number of chapters talk about the "Failures of the Modern Chronology," "The Verification of History with Algebra," and the legends and myths on which the history of Greece, Rome, Egypt, Russia and China are built.
In the appendix are articles of other authors who analyze the myths connected with the poet Dante, with the navy of antiquity and with the perception by people of the notion of "time" .
The book has been written in a popular style and is intended for all readers who are interested in history. 


The Breaking of a Thousand Swords: A History of the Turkish Military of Samarra, 200-275 Ah/815-889 Ce (Suny Series in Medieval Middle East History) 
 Product Description
A portrait of the Samarran Turk community while in the employ of the 'Abbasid caliphate during the ninth centuries.

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