Medieval History for Dummies - Paperback

by Stephen Batchelor (Author)

Rattle through 1000 years of horrible history, from the fifth century to the sixteenth century

Famine, plague and public execution - the medieval period wasn't the best time for some, but heroic rulers like Charlemagne, William the Conqueror and Henry V made sure that it was full of action. Brimming with facts, this book helps you get under the skin of the people who lived at the time, from impoverished peasants to opulent monarchs. From the Dark Ages to the Renaissance and all the upheavals in between, this book takes the pain out of medieval history.

• The Black Death - assess the deadly pandemic that swept through Britain and Europe killing millions of people
• The Holy Roman Empire strikes back - understand how the empire fought to maintain its position
• Falling apart - witness the arrival of powerful armies from the east and invaders from the north, and the dramatic effects of religious schisms
• Heading for the Holy Land - uncover the reasons why crusading became so popular, and ultimately so unsuccessful, between the eleventh and fourteenth centuries
• Living in the medieval world - understand the lives of monks and monarchs, peasants and popes, and travellers and traders of the period
• Waging conflicts, battles and wars - a look through the troubles that shaped the medieval age; from the fall of the Roman Empire to the Wars of the Roses

Open the book and find:

• Why the peasants revolted
• Where Chaucer gained inspiration to write The Canterbury Tales
• Which religious groups fought for power
• How the Magna Carta shaped our present-day legal system
• Why the Vikings may have got to America before Columbus
• Profiles of the best and worst medieval monarchs
• How Joan of Arc made her name
• The great and grisly histories of surviving medieval castles

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Back Jacket

Rattle through 1000 years of horrible history, from the fifth century to the sixteenth century

Famine, plague and public execution - the medieval period wasn't the best time for some, but heroic rulers like Charlemagne, William the Conqueror and Henry V made sure that it was full of action. Brimming with facts, this book helps you get under the skin of the people who lived at the time, from impoverished peasants to opulent monarchs. From the Dark Ages to the Renaissance and all the upheavals in between, this book takes the pain out of medieval history.

• The Black Death - assess the deadly pandemic that swept through Britain and Europe killing millions of people
• The Holy Roman Empire strikes back - understand how the empire fought to maintain its position
• Falling apart - witness the arrival of powerful armies from the east and invaders from the north, and the dramatic effects of religious schisms
• Heading for the Holy Land - uncover the reasons why crusading became so popular, and ultimately so unsuccessful, between the eleventh and fourteenth centuries
• Living in the medieval world - understand the lives of monks and monarchs, peasants and popes, and travellers and traders of the period
• Waging conflicts, battles and wars - a look through the troubles that shaped the medieval age; from the fall of the Roman Empire to the Wars of the Roses

Open the book and find:

• Why the peasants revolted
• Where Chaucer gained inspiration to write The Canterbury Tales
• Which religious groups fought for power
• How the Magna Carta shaped our present-day legal system
• Why the Vikings may have got to America before Columbus
• Profiles of the best and worst medieval monarchs
• How Joan of Arc made her name
• The great and grisly histories of surviving medieval castles

Author Biography

Stephen Batchelor is Head of School for Creative and Visual Arts at MidKent College and has taught ancient history and classical studies for many years. Stephen has written book reviews for Current Archaeology and History Today, and is the author of The Ancient Greeks For Dummies.