This is the second volume of one of the finest general introductions to the medieval world of recent times, first published in French by Armand Colin. Volume II begins at the turn of the millennium and covers the extraordinary rebirth of Europe, in terms of demographic expansion, agrarian settlement and organisation, the establishment of towns and villages, the ascendancy of the feudal system, the appearance of formal states and kingdoms, and the dramatic controlling ascendancy of the western Church. In the east, despite the external appearance of grandeur, the Islamic countries were being torn apart by mutual rivalry, while the Byzantime empire lost massive border territories through political and economic incompetence. Full coverage is given to both east and west, and their artistic heritage is displayed lavishly in many of the colour plates. A comprehensive bibliography is also included.

This is the long-anticipated second volume of one of the finest general introductions to the medieval world of recent times, first published in French by Armand Colin. Lavishly illustrated, with many accompanying maps and charts, each volume presents a synthesis of current scholarly research and interpretation, carefully checked, translated, and revised for an English-speaking readership. Volume 2 begins at the turn of the millennium and covers the extraordinary rebirth of Europe, in terms of demographic expansion, agrarian settlement and organization, the establishment of towns and villages, the ascendancy of the feudal system, the appearance of formal states and kingdoms, and the dramatic controlling ascendancy of the Western Church. In the East, despite the external appearance of grandeur, the Islamic countries were being torn apart by mutual rivalry, while the Byzantine empire lost massive border territories through political and economic incompetence. As in Volumes 1 (350-950) and 3 (1250-1520), full coverage is given to both East and West, and their artistic heritage is vividly displayed in many of the color plates. A comprehensive bibliography is also included as an aid to further investigation, whether by general readers or by students of the period.

From the divine right of kings to the political philosophies of writers such as Machiavelli, the medieval city-states to the unification of Spain, Daniel Waley and Peter Denley focus on the growing power of the state to illuminate changing political ideas in Europe between the thirteenth and sixteenth centuries. Spanning the entire continent and beyond, and using contemporary voices wherever possible, the authors include substantial sections on economics, religion, and art, and how developments in these areas fed into and were influenced by the transformation of political thinking. The new edition takes the narrative beyond the confines of western Europe with chapters on East Central Europe and the teutonic knights, and the Portuguese expansion across the Atlantic. The third edition of this classic introduction to the period includes even greater use of contemporary voices, full reading lists, and new chapters on East Central Europe and Portuguese exploration. Suitable as an introductory text for undergraduate courses in Medieval Studies and Medieval European History.

The sixth volume of The New Cambridge Medieval History covers the fourteenth century, a period dominated by plague, other natural disasters and war which brought to an end three centuries of economic growth and cultural expansion in Christian Europe, but one which also saw important developments in government, religious and intellectual life, and new cultural and artistic patterns. Part I sets the scene by discussion of general themes in the theory and practice of government, religion, social and economic history, and culture. Part II deals with the individual histories of the states of western Europe; Part III with that of the Church at the time of the Avignon papacy and the Great Schism; and Part IV with eastern and northern Europe, Byzantium and the early Ottomans, giving particular attention to the social and economic relations with westerners and those of other civilisations in the Mediterranean.

This volume forms the first part of one of the finest general introductions to the medieval world of recent times. Lavishly illustrated, with numerous accompanying maps and charts, each of the three volumes presents a synthesis of scholarly research and interpretation, translated from the original French and revised thoroughly for an English speaking readership. Volume I spans the beginning of the Middle Ages, a period marked not only by change, plague and civil strife but also by the rise of the Church, the growing importance of Byzantium and the flowering of the Carologian Renaissance. Full coverage is given to East and West, and their artistic heritage is displayed in many of the colour plates. A bibliography is appended as an aid to further investigation, whether by the general reader or by teachers and students of the period. The two further volumes, on 950-1250 and on 1250-1520, are also available. The Cambridge Illustrated History of the Middle Ages is also sold as a three-volume boxed set.

The thousand years explored in this book witnessed developments in the history of Ireland that resonate to this day. Interspersing narrative with detailed analysis of key themes, the first volume in The Cambridge History of Ireland presents the latest thinking on key aspects of the medieval Irish experience. The contributors are leading experts in their fields, and present their original interpretations in a fresh and accessible manner. New perspectives are offered on the politics, artistic culture, religious beliefs and practices, social organisation and economic activity that prevailed on the island in these centuries. At each turn the question is asked: to what extent were these developments unique to Ireland? The openness of Ireland to outside influences, and its capacity to influence the world beyond its shores, are recurring themes. Underpinning the book is a comparative, outward-looking approach that sees Ireland as an integral but exceptional component of medieval Christian Europe.

This unique collection of reworked and heavily illustrated essays, by one of the leading scholars of Chinese history, re-examines the relationship between the present day state and society in China.