Middle Ages - Further Reading

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Middle Ages

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Chivalry

Barber, Richard W. The Knight and Chivalry. Boydell, 1996. Originally published in 1971, this well-illustrated and popular work provides a detailed description of knighthood and the role of chivalry.

Gibbons, Gail. Knights in Shining Armor. Little, Brown, 1995, 1998. Medieval times illuminated through vibrant illustrations; for younger readers.

Kaeuper, Richard W. Chivalry and Violence in Medieval Europe. Oxford University Press, 2001. Reveals the contradictory forces that struggle within the concept of chivalry.

Keen, Maurice. Chivalry. Yale University Press, 1984. Survey of chivalric culture.

Laing, Lloyd, and Jennifer Laing. Medieval Britain: The Age of Chivalry. St. Martin's, 1998. A richly illustrated account of the Middle Ages and Britain's chivalric code.

Crusades

Biel, Timothy L. The Crusades. Lucent, 1995. Explains the historical background of the medieval holy wars; for middle school to adult readers.

Housley, Norman. The Later Crusades, 1274-1580: From Lyons to Alcazar. Oxford University Press, 1992. Complex three-century overview of the later Crusades.

Konstam, Angus. Historical Atlas of the Crusades. Facts on File, 2002. An illustrated atlas that chronicles figures, events, themes, and places. For high school readers.

Madden, Thomas F. A Concise History of the Crusades. Rowman & Littlefield, 1999. Well-executed account of a poorly understood medieval movement.

Rice, Earle. Life During the Crusades. Lucent, 1998. Examines the feudal social structure that existed during the holy wars. For readers in grades 8 to 10.

Riley-Smith, Jonathan, ed. The Oxford Illustrated History of the Crusades. Oxford University Press, 1995, 2001. Broad examination of the Crusades that includes religious, economic, and military aspects.

Runciman, Steven. A History of the Crusades. Cambridge University Press, 1951-1954, 1996. Classic history.

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Feudalism

Bloch, Marc. Feudal Society: The Growth of Ties of Dependence. Trans. L.A. Manyon. University of Chicago Press, 1981. A classic work on the origins of the feudal system.

Britnell, R. H. The Commercialization of English Society, 1000-1500. 2nd ed. Cambridge University Press, 1997. Overview of changing social and economic relationships.

Dyer, Christopher. Making a Living in the Middle Ages: The People of Britain 850-1520. Yale University Press, 2002. Masterly survey of the social and economic structures during the feudal era.

Herlihy, David, ed. The History of Feudalism. Humanities, 1979. Comprehensive on all aspects.

Reynolds, Susan. Fiefs and Vassals: The Medieval Evidence Reinterpreted. Oxford University Press, 1996. A provocative challenge to orthodox conceptions of feudalism.

Reynolds, Susan. First Vassals: The Medieval Evidence Reinterpreted. Oxford University Press, 1994. A comprehensive study of feudal systems in Italy, France, England, and Germany.

For younger readers

Blackwood, Gary L. Life in a Medieval Castle. Lucent, 1999. For middle school readers.

Corrick, James A. Life of a Medieval Knight. Lucent, 2001. For readers in grades 6 to 10.

Corzine, Phyllis. The Black Death. Lucent, 1996. For readers in grades 5 to 8.

Dawson, Imogen. Clothes and Crafts in the Middle Ages. Gareth Stevens, 2000. For readers in grades 4 to 6.

Dean, Ruth, and Melissa Thomson. Women of the Middle Ages. Lucent, 2003. For readers in grades 6 to 10.

Steele, Philip. Castles. Kingfisher, 1995. For readers in grades 5 to 7.

Walker, Jane. Knights & Castles. Mason Crest, 2002. For readers in grades 3 to 6.

Gothic art and architecture

Camille, Michael. Gothic Art: Glorious Visions. Abrams, 1996. Introduction to the art and architecture of the period.

Erlande-Brandenburg, Alain. Gothic Art. Abrams, 1989. Comprehensive survey with numerous illustrations.

Focillon, Henri. The Art of the West in the Middle Ages. Cornell University Press, 1980. Classic work.

Grodecki, Louis, and others. Gothic Architecture. Abrams, Rizzoli, 1977. 1985. Details on Gothic cathedrals of Europe plus general discussion of style.

Martindale, Andrew. Gothic Art. Oxford University Press, Thames & Hudson, 1967. 1985. Illustrated history of medieval art in Europe.

Os, H. W. Van, and others. The Art of Devotion in the Late Middle Ages in Europe, 1300-1500. Princeton University Press, 1994. Catalog of an exhibition of private devotional images; includes ivories, illuminated manuscripts, panel paintings, and wood sculptures.

Ross, Leslie, and Rudolf Steiner. Medieval Art: A Topical Dictionary. Greenwood, 1996. Dictionary covers terms relating to all types of medieval art, including Gothic.

Williamson, Paul. Gothic Sculpture 1140-1300. Yale University Press, 1995, 1998. Well-illustrated survey of a full range of European sculpture of the period.

Wilson, Christopher. The Gothic Cathedral: The Architecture of the Great Church 1130-1530. Thames & Hudson, 1992. Concise and readable study of the great Gothic cathedrals of Europe.

Middle Ages

Bunson, Matthew. Encyclopedia of the Middle Ages. Facts on File, 1995. More than 2,000 entries cover the people, places, and events of the Middle Ages.

Cantor, Norman F. The Civilization of the Middle Ages. HarperCollins, 1993. Originally published in 1964, Cantor's one-volume study remains one of the most accessible treatments on the subject.

Cantor, Norman F. Medieval Lives: Eight Charismatic Men and Women of the Middle Ages. HarperCollins, 1994. Major and minor historical figures on the issues of their times.

Duby, Georges, and Philippe Aries, eds. A History of Private Life: Revelations of the Medieval World. Trans. Arthur Goldhammer. Belknap, 1988, 1993. A fascinating and revealing study of the intimate and familial lives of medieval people.

Eamon, William. Science and the Secrets of Nature: Books of Secrets in Medieval and Early Modern Culture. Princeton University Press, 1994. A book of medieval secrets, from stain removal potions to plague cures and love potions.

Herlihy, David. Medieval Households. Harvard University Press, 1985. Argues that the medieval period defined the modern notion of family, especially affection toward children.

Hooper, Nicholas, and Matthew Bennett. The Cambridge Illustrated Atlas of Warfare: The Middle Ages, 768-1487. Cambridge University Press, 1995. This illustrated popular history traces the development of European warfare from Charlemagne to the War of the Roses.

Jordan, William Chester, ed. The Middle Ages: An Encyclopedia for Students. Scribner, 1996. Illustrated reference work with more than 700 entries; for younger readers.

McKitterick, Rosamond, ed. The New Cambridge Medieval History. Cambridge University Press, 1995-1998.

Platt, Colin. The Architecture of Medieval Britain: A Social History. Yale University Press, 1990. Life in medieval England is illuminated through this study of the architectural heritage of the Middle Ages.

Shahar, Shulamith. Childhood in the Middle Ages. Routledge, 1990. Medieval children and the care given them.

Romanesque art and architecture

Beckwith, John. Early Medieval Art: Carolingian, Ottonian, Romanesque. Thames & Hudson, 1985. Introduction to early medieval art.

Dodwell, C. R. The Pictorial Arts of the West, 800-1200. Yale University Press, 1993. Comprehensive survey of illuminated manuscripts, murals, mosaics, tapestries, and stained glass designs.

Hearn, M. F. Romanesque Sculpture: The Revival of Monumental Stone Sculpture in the Eleventh and Twelfth Centuries. Cornell University Press, 1981, 1985. Development, characteristics, and architectural context.

Kubach, Hans Erich. Romanesque Architecture. Abrams, 1975. Excellent survey with more than 400 drawings and photographs.

Künstler, Gustav, ed. Romanesque Art in Europe. N.Y. Graphic, Reprint, Norton, 1968. 1973. Art and architecture flourishing about the year 1000.

Lasko, Peter E. Ars Sacra, 800-1200. Yale University Press, 1994. Survey of early medieval decorative arts.

Parker, Elizabeth, and Charles T. Little. The Cloisters Cross: Its Art and Meaning. Abrams, 1994. In-depth study of the Bury St. Edmunds Cross, a masterpiece of ivory carving.

Petzold, Andreas. Romanesque Art. Abrams, 1995. Complete overview of all aspects of Romanesque art.

Schapiro, Meyer. Romanesque Art. Braziller, 1977, 1993. Innovative, authoritative essays on medieval aesthetic ideas and Romanesque sculpture.

Swarzenski, H. P. Monuments of Romanesque Art. University of Chicago Press, 1974. “The Art of Church Treasures in North-Western Europe” (title page).

Scholasticism

Gilson, Etienne. History of Christian Philosophy in the Middle Ages. Random, 1955. Monumental work for students and general readers.

Holmes, Urban. Medieval Man: His Understanding of Himself, His Society, and the World. North Carolina, 1980. Discusses intellectual, religious, personal relationships through study of medieval literature.

Pieper, Josef. Scholasticism. Pantheon, McGraw, 1960. 1964. “Personalities and Problems of Medieval Philosophy” (title page).

Smalley, Beryl. The Becket Conflict and the Schools: A Study of Intellectuals in Politics. Rowman & Littlefield, 1973. Important work on the controversy with King Henry II.

Weinberg, Julius R. A Short History of Medieval Philosophy. Princeton, 1964. Shows interaction of classical philosophy and great religions.

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