New Medieval Books: Chaucer and Trauma
The 14th-century writer Geoffrey Chaucer included many episodes of “violence, victimhood, and overwhelming grief or loss” in his works. The nine papers in this collection explore how he presents these traumatic experiences and what they reveal about both the writer and his medieval world.
New Medieval Books: Nemesis
For the English kings Henry II, Richard I, John and Henry III, one rival repeatedly gained the upper hand. This book examines a crucial period in the rivalry between England and France, revealing how Philip Augustus became such a formidable opponent.
New Medieval Books: A Medieval Cabinet of Curiosities
It is often said that every object tells a story. This book brings that idea to life through fifty items from the Middle Ages, ranging from spoons to shields.
New Medieval Books: The First King of England
This biography tells the story of how Æthelstan rose from King of the Anglo-Saxons to King of the English. In doing so, he became a central figure in the creation of a new nation during the tenth century
New Medieval Books: Once Upon A (Stolen) Time
Step into a story of historical romance, magic and time travel, moving between the present day and the fifteenth century.
New Medieval Books: Harald Hardrada
Perhaps the most famous figure of the Viking Age, Harald Hardrada led an eventful life that took him across much of the eleventh-century world. This book recounts his remarkable story while offering insights into the many lands and states through which he travelled.
New Medieval Books: Natural and Supernatural in Early Medieval England
Were strange creatures believed to inhabit the lands just beyond the known world? Could an illness be cured by a plant or a magic spell? As this book reveals, people in medieval England grappled with questions such as these.
New Medieval Books: King Arthur
This book revives the debate over who King Arthur was and whether he was a historical figure. It also examines his portrayal in medieval Welsh and English literature and the ways modern scholars have interpreted those traditions.
New Medieval Books: Venice and the Mongols
As two powers expanded, Venice eastward and the Mongol Empire westward, their interests converged around trade. This book explores their diplomacy and commercial ties, revealing how the Black Sea became a centre of medieval globalization.
New Medieval Books: How Genre Governs Creation in the Medieval Icelandic Sagas
Icelandic sagas are a unique form of medieval literature that can be difficult to understand. This book uses ideas about genre, including some drawn from film studies, to offer new ways of reading and interpreting them.
New Medieval Books: Game On!
When most people think of games and sports in the Middle Ages, chess and jousting probably come to mind. This book, and the exhibition on which it is based, reveal that medieval people enjoyed a much wider range of activities, including Snakes and Ladders.
New Medieval Books: Great Kingdoms of Africa
The medieval era features prominently in this edited volume, which examines several of the most important states to emerge in pre-modern Africa. Its nine studies span regions across the continent.
New Medieval Books: People of the Image: Jews and Art
Histories of medieval art usually focus on works made by and for Christians. This book instead explores art created by and for Jewish communities, revealing new perspectives on how people understood and experienced the medieval world.
New Medieval Books: Medieval Twitter
For about 17 years, Twitter served as an important place for conversation and debate in the online world. This book examines how the medievalist community used the platform to exchange ideas, build connections, and engage in everything from friendly discussions to heated disputes.
New Medieval Books: The North Caucasian Kingdom of Alania, 850–1240
The medieval world saw many kingdoms and states rise to dominate their regions, only to collapse and fade from memory. This book tells the story of one such realm—Alania—and traces its nearly 400 years of history.
New Medieval Books: Constructing the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles
Few texts are as important to our understanding of early medieval England as the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. This book investigates how the Chronicle came into being and how generations of scribes and scholars sustained the project for over 200 years.
New Medieval Books: Depicting the Holy War
How did Europeans view the crusades during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries? According to this book, the answer is literally painted on the walls. It examines five sets of murals from the period, revealing how medieval people chose to depict, remember, and interpret the crusades.
New Medieval Books: Saint Benedict, Montecassino, and the Crisis of Ninth-Century Southern Lombards in Early Medieval Cassinese Memory
Southern Italy in the ninth century was beset by warfare, political rivalry, and frequent Muslim raids. The monks of Montecassino Abbey witnessed these turbulent times and left behind a valuable account, translated here.
New Medieval Books: The Philokalia
This collection of texts may date from the eighteenth century, but the works it contains are all medieval in origin. Together, they offer a diverse glimpse into the Eastern Orthodox tradition that shaped the religious life of the Byzantine world.
New Medieval Books: The Genius of Invective
Have you ever watched a deep dive into a movie where someone explains all the hidden details and Easter eggs? This is the medieval equivalent: a famous eleventh-century letter that later inspired one particularly detailed analysis written three hundred years afterward.
New Medieval Books: The People’s Princes
While Niccolò Machiavelli is often associated with ruthless or disreputable tactics, a closer reading of his works reveals a far more nuanced thinker with substantial insights into politics and government. This book explores his ideas on the relationship between rulers and the people they govern.
New Medieval Books: Chinese Characters across Asia
Chinese Characters across Asia: How the Chinese Script Came to Write Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese By Zev Handel University of Washington Press ISBN:…
New Medieval Books: Medieval German Tales
Discover the richness of later medieval German literature through these 20 tales, now translated into English. Ranging from comic stories to courtly narratives, they offer a vivid glimpse into the kinds of tales that entertained audiences in the Middle Ages.
New Medieval Books: The Art of Making Verses
Gervase of Melkley promises that “This little book is for beginners!”—yet his medieval guide to poetry is surprisingly inventive. Instead of repeating standard rules, he introduces a fresh method for composing verse, leading readers from clear expression to metaphor and irony.