New Medieval Books: ’20 Years Before the Blast’: Experimental Bloomery Iron Smelting, 2001-2024
This book explores medieval iron-smelting technology through experimental archaeology, drawing on more than a hundred tests of bloomery iron smelting to better understand how the process worked, particularly in the Norse settlement of Vinland.
New Medieval Books: The Cities of Song China
This fascinating two-volume work explores urban life in China during the Song Dynasty, offering insights into the appearance of its cities, how they were governed, and what everyday life was like for the people who lived and worked in them.
New Medieval Books: Tyrants and Traders: Tintagel, Arthur and the Lost Kings
The end of Roman rule brought great changes to Britain, but much of what happened in the centuries that followed remains a mystery. Focusing on western Britain, this book draws on archaeological discoveries to explore its forgotten kingdoms, their extensive trading networks, and the role of Tintagel as a royal stronghold.
New Medieval Books: Emperors and Imperial Dynasties of Byzantium
This extensive collection of translated texts explores the emperors of Byzantium from the fourth to the fifteenth centuries. Drawing on chronicles, letters and other historical sources, it offers a sweeping tour of Byzantine politics across more than a thousand years.
New Medieval Books: De Observatione Ciborum
What did people eat in the early Middle Ages? Or, more precisely, what were they advised to eat? This sixth-century text, presented here in an edition and translation, offers dietary advice and recipes intended for a Frankish ruler.
New Medieval Books: After Rumi
The 13th-century mystic Rumi had a profound influence on Sufism, the mystical tradition of Islam. This book explores the religious community that emerged from his teachings and examines the role his followers played in the religious life of Ottoman Anatolia.
New Medieval Books: The Knights Templar
Few organisations in history have achieved as much fame, or infamy, as the Knights Templar. This book introduces you to their story, from their founding during the Crusades to their dramatic downfall.
New Medieval Books: Warfare in the Global Middle Ages
Whether you were a military commander in medieval England or Japan, you would have faced many of the same challenges of organisation, logistics, and tactics. This book takes a comparative approach to medieval warfare, examining how armies fought and operated across different parts of the medieval world.
New Medieval Books: The First Print Era
Medieval China is where printing was first invented. But what kinds of works were printed there? This book focuses on the 10th to 12th centuries, revealing how the state made use of this technology and how the spread of the printed word transformed Chinese culture.
New Medieval Books: Under the Viking Yoke
This book examines the emergence of Brittany in the Early Middle Ages, focusing on a period when the Carolingian Empire was disintegrating and the region faced increasing Viking attacks.
New Medieval Books: The Maghazi of Sayyiduna Muhammad
This biography of the Prophet Muhammad, dating from the mid-eighth century, was long thought to be mostly lost. However, in 2021, a manuscript containing about two-thirds of the work was discovered, making possible the publication of this new edition and English translation.
New Medieval Books: A Shapeshifter in Love
This book invites you to compare two stories about shapeshifting. The first is the 12th-century tale Yonec, while the second is The Beauty and the Beast, which was written in the 18th century.
New Medieval Books: A Catalog of Benevolent Items
In 16th-century China, a vast encyclopedia brought together knowledge about medicine and the natural world. This book gives you a taste of this fascinating work and its remarkable range of subjects, from soybeans and dragons to poisons and ice.
New Medieval Books: The Fifth Crusade
The Fifth Crusade is often overlooked, even by those who study the Crusades. This book shows why its story deserves greater attention, offering valuable insights into the politics and warfare of the medieval Near East.
New Medieval Books: The Postal Revolution
Sending a letter in late medieval Italy changed dramatically over the centuries. This book traces how an initially ad hoc system of messengers developed into increasingly organised and professional courier networks, eventually becoming a significant business in its own right.
New Medieval Books: Crusader Principality of Antioch from Bohemond I to Bohemond III (1098-1161)
When it comes to the Crusader States, the Principality of Antioch is often overlooked. This book aims to correct that, offering an in-depth examination of its political history during the first six decades of its existence.
New Medieval Books: The Fatimids
In the early tenth century, a new Islamic movement emerged in North Africa and soon developed into a powerful empire. This book examines the rise and fall of the Fatimids, their expansion across the medieval world, and how their rule helped create a ‘Golden Age’ in Egypt.
New Medieval Books: The Merseburg Charms
In the 10th century, a cleric in Germany wrote down two magical charms rooted in pre-Christian pagan beliefs. This book takes a detailed look at the Merseburg Charms, exploring their origins, meaning, and significance.
New Medieval Books: Letter on the Double Eclipse of the Sun
Wondering how people understood astronomy in the Early Middle Ages? This book offers the text and translation of a letter to Charlemagne prompted by a rare astronomical event that took place in the early ninth century.
New Medieval Books: The Mongol Archive in Late Medieval France
As news reached 13th-century Europe of a new power emerging in the East, the kings of France were among those most eager to learn more about these mysterious newcomers. This book traces their efforts to understand the Mongols, establish connections with them, and explores how these encounters left their mark on medieval France.
New Medieval Books: Cultures of the Medieval Kingdom of Jerusalem
In the aftermath of the First Crusade, a new state emerged in the eastern Mediterranean that was very different from the lands its conquerors had come from. This book examines the social and cultural landscape of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, revealing a remarkably diverse society shaped by peoples of different ethnic, religious, and cultural backgrounds.
New Medieval Books: Craftland
What was work like before industrialisation? This book looks back at Britain before the rise of modern industry, exploring the professions and occupations that once played an important role in people’s everyday lives.
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.