medieval, 500-1500

"Castles may conjure up a romantic fairy tale world; however, in real life, during the Middle Ages, castles were fortresses, providing shelter and protection for the lord as well as for the peasants who lived on his land. For an army, a lord depended on young soldiers in armor called knights who spent years at the castle learning the skills of warfare. [This book explores the world of castles and knights]"--Provided by publisher.

"Texts (with modern English translation) offering insights into the place of cloth and clothing in everyday life are presented here. Covering a wide range of genres, they include documents from the royal wardrobe accounts and petitions to king and Parliament, previously available only in manuscript form. The accounts detail royal expenditure on fabrics and garments, while the petitions demand the restoration of livery, for example, or protest about the need for winter clothing for children who are wards of the king. In addition, the volume includes extracts from wills, inventories and rolls of livery, sumptuary laws, moral and satirical works condemning contemporary fashions, an Old English epic, and English and French romances. The texts themselves are in Old and Middle English, Latin and Anglo-Norman French, with some of the documents switching between more than one of these languages. They are presented with introduction, glossary and detailed notes"--Back cover.

Nearly a century after it was first published in 1925, Medieval Cities remains one of the most provocative works of medieval history ever written. This book argues that it was not the invasion of the Germanic tribes that destroyed the civilization of antiquity, but rather the closing of Mediterranean trade by Arab conquest in the seventh century.

Text and the accompanying illustrations offer an overview of Medieval art and life.

Looks at the history of the Middle Ages from the perspective of children who lived in the era.

Color illustrations accompany descriptions of clothing and accessories around the world during the Middle Ages, focusing on Europe and also covering China, Japan, Africa, and the Americas. Also includes time lines, maps, and a glossary.

Looks at battles that were fought during the Medieval period by the English, French, Muslims, Mongols, and crusaders, discussing how the victories and failures laid the foundations of modern history.

A portrait of the Middle Ages, studying the process of religious, intellectual, and geographic exploration that led medieval people into the rebirth of civilization known as the Renaissance.