Medieval Europe

A Short History

Twelfth Edition

Judith M. Bennett and Sandy Bardsley

For decades, this volume has set the standard for textbooks on the history of the Middle Ages
Chapters are enlivened by visual images, maps, and timelines that summarize key trends and highlight important issues
Clear, straightforward, and carefully organized chapters aid students in a full and exciting exploration of medieval Europe
Up-to-date scholarship, especially on the history of women and the history of the Jewish people, gives this text the advantage of being complete and seamless
A robust set of digital resources, including primary sources, quizzes, flashcards, and animated timelines and maps, will be available at www.oup.com/he/bennett12e

New to this Edition:

Covers the Byzantine Empire and the Islamic Empire in two separate chapters
Treats the social and economic changes of the Central Middle Ages in two chapters (7 and 8)
Two new biographical sketches: Constantine the African in Chapter 4 and Cecilia Penifader in Chapter 7
Incorporates student learning outcomes into the beginning of each chapter
The price of the text has been reduced considerably, making it more accessible to students

Medieval Europe

A Short History

Twelfth Edition

Judith M. Bennett and Sandy Bardsley

Description

For five decades, Medieval Europe: A Short History has been the best-selling text for courses on the history of Medieval Europe. This acclaimed book has long been applauded for both its scholarship and its engaging narrative. Oxford University Press is pleased to continue this tradition of excellence with a new, affordable, and streamlined twelfth edition featuring a new coauthor, Sandy Bardsley. The new edition offers increased coverage of race and ethnicity, more incorporation of archaeological data, an overall streamlining of the text, and more.

Medieval Europe

A Short History

Twelfth Edition

Judith M. Bennett and Sandy Bardsley

Abbreviations and Conventions
Biographical Sketches
Medieval Myths
Maps
List of Figures
Preface
Introduction
Chapter 1: Romans, Christians, and Barbarians
The Early Middle Ages
The Roman Peace (31 B.C.E.-180 C.E.) and After
Christianity
Barbarians and the Western Empire
The Decline of the Western Empire

Chapter 2: Early Western Christendom, c. 500-700
Early Medieval Society
Early Medieval Politics
The Early Medieval Church
Intellectual Life

Chapter 3: The Byzantine Empire, c. 500-1000
Byzantine Government
Byzantine Christianity
Byzantine Economy and Society
Byzantine Culture
The Course of Byzantine Politics

Chapter 4: The Islamic Empires, c. 571-1100
Arabia and Muhammad (c. 571-632)
The Islamic Empires
Islamic Culture
Religion, Race, and Difference

Chapter 5: Carolingian Europe, c. 700-850
The Early Carolingians
Charlemagne (r. 768-814)
Intellectual Revival

Chapter 6: Division, Invasion, and Reorganization, c. 800-1000
Division: The Later Carolingians
Invasion: Muslims, Magyars, and Vikings
Reorganization: New Polities

Chapter 7: Economic Takeoff and Social Change in the Countryside, c. 1000-1300
The Central Middle Ages
Agricultural Revolution
Rural Society

Chapter 8: Economic Takeoff and Social Change in Town and Court, c. 1000-1300
The Commercial Revolution
Urban Society
The Landholding Aristocracy
Feudal Society
The Expansion of Education

Chapter 9: Popes and the Papacy, c. 1000-1300
Popes, Clergy, and Laity, c. 1000-1122
The Reformed Papacy and its Church
Innocent III and the Papacy Ascendant
The Papacy after 1250

Chapter 10: New Paths to God, c. 1000-1300
Judaism
The Evolution of Christian Piety
Orthodoxy and Heresy
Changes in Monastic Life
The Mendicant Orders

Chapter 11: Conquests, Crusades, and Persecutions, c. 1100-1300
Conquests and Territorial Expansion
Crusades
Persecutions
Conclusion

Chapter 12: States Made and Unmade, c. 1000-1300
The Holy Roman Empire: Disintegration
England: King and Parliament
France: The Monarchy Triumphant
Iberia: Some Consolidation
The States of Northern and Eastern Europe

Chapter 13: Literature, Art, and Thought, c. 1000-1300
Byzantine and Islamic Influences
Intellectual Trends
Literature
Architecture and Sculpture

Chapter 14: Famine, Plague, and Recovery, c. 1300-1500
The Later Middle Ages
Economic Woes and Demographic Crisis (1300-1350)
Adjustment and Recovery (1350-1500)
Late Medieval Christianity

Chapter 15: Toward the Sovereign State, c. 1300-1500
England, France, and the Hundred Years' War
England: Parliament, Civil War, and Tudor Monarchy
France: Constitutional Crisis, War, and the Spider King
The Iberian States: Consolidation through Homogenization
New Powers on the European Periphery
The Heritage of the Holy Roman Empire

Chapter 16: Diversity and Dynamism in Culture, c. 1300-1500
Literacy and Vernacular Languages
Humanist Education
Literature
Art and Architecture
Philosophy
Political Thought

Glossary
Photo Credits
Index

Medieval Europe

A Short History

Twelfth Edition

Judith M. Bennett and Sandy Bardsley

Author Information

Sandy Bardsley is Professor of History at Moravian College.

Judith M. Bennett is Professor of History Emerita at University of Southern California and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Medieval Europe

A Short History

Twelfth Edition

Judith M. Bennett and Sandy Bardsley

Reviews and Awards

"Medieval Europe is readable, engaging, and highly informative, but still accessible. It provides the right balance of detailed information within an interpretive framework." --Adrianna Bakos, University of the Fraser Valley

"This is the best short textbook out there. It's balanced nicely between chronology and trends; it's well organized and inclusive, especially of gender; and it's written in a no-nonsense colloquial voice." --Lisa Bitel, University of Southern California

"Medieval Europe: A Short History is a concise, readable text that is perfect for college students. It provides essential background, including information about peasant and town life, instead of just a recitation of the political highlights." --Kristen Geaman, University of Toledo

"Sandy Bardsley's additions and modifications to the text are built on the latest scholarship, and she maintains the friendly tone that previous generations of readers came to appreciate." --Cullen Chandler, Lycoming College