The Penguin History of Medieval Europe (Penguin History)

This is a fascinating, three-dimensional picture of the politics, society, and religion of Medieval Europe, the age that had as its great theme the unity of Christendom. Here Dr. Keen examines tribal wars, the Crusades, the growth of trade and the shifting patterns of community life as villages grew into towns and towns into sizeable cities. He explores how Papal victories eventually undermined the spiritual authority of the Church. And he discusses how the Hundred Years War escalated from a feudal dispute into a full-scale national conflict, until by the mid fifteenth century, changing economic and social conditions had transformed the unity of Christendom into merely a pious phrase. Written in an engaging and lively style, Dr. Keen's excellent outline will sustain the interest of all those coming new to the history of this colorful and eventful age. 349 pages.