New Medieval Books: History of the Arab Invasions: The Conquest of the Lands
Futuh al-Buldan is one of the most important primary sources for the early history of Islam. Written around the year 867, it chronicles the era of the Prophet Muhammad, and Muslim expansion into Syria, Egypt and Iraq.
New Medieval Books: The Science of Music
Did you know there was a vibrant music scene in 13th-century Baghdad, even during the time of the Mongol conquest? This book traces the life of a prominent musical scholar and explores what his works reveal about education and intellectual life in the medieval Islamic world.
New Medieval Books: Shortage and Famine in the Late Medieval Crown of Aragon
Food security was a major concern for any medieval society. This book examines how individuals and communities responded to this challenge, particularly during periods of famine.
New Medieval Books: Madrid
This book traces the history of Madrid from prehistoric settlements to the present day, charting its rise to become the heart of one of the largest empires of the early modern world.
New Medieval Books: Bastions of the Cross
This book sheds light on several lesser-known medieval churches in northern Ethiopia. It offers fresh insights into the region’s architectural and artistic heritage.
New Medieval Books: The Sagas of Icelanders
This book offers an introduction to the Icelandic sagas, detailing various aspects of the genre. It then provides mini-descriptions of 40 sagas, explaining their content, dating, and transmission.
New Medieval Books: Laywomen and the Crusade in England, 1150-1300
The Crusades enjoyed widespread support in Western Europe, and efforts on the home front were focused on mobilizing fighters for the Holy Land. This book explores the role of women in England in encouraging men to take up the Cross.
New Medieval Books: Discovered but Forgotten
Situated in the Indian Ocean, the Maldives played a key role in medieval trade networks. This book explores Chinese engagement with the islands, focusing on a two-century period during which they became an important outpost for China’s expanding maritime influence.
New Medieval Books: Muhammad’s Military Expeditions
Between 622 and 632, the early Muslim community became involved in a series of military conflicts with rival Arabian groups and the Byzantine Empire. This book examines the military history of these encounters, “emphasizing them as a series of tribal incursions rather than religious missions.”
New Medieval Books: The Magic Books
Medieval people were interested in accessing secret knowledge like magic, divination and astrology. This book examines over 20 works from the period that deals with these topics, revealing what they say (and what they show) about these topics.
Last Man Standing: Gruffydd ap Gwenwynwyn, Prince of Powys
C.I. Leah previews his new book that examines the complex legacy of Gruffydd ap Gwenwynwyn, the Welsh prince who aligned with England to preserve his power. Was he a traitor—or the last man standing in a fractured medieval Wales?
New Medieval Books: Forgotten Vikings
This book sets out to provide a sweeping overview of the Viking Age, covering Norse history from the sixth to the fifteenth centuries. Unlike many similar works, it reaches well beyond Scandinavia and England, incorporating a wide geographical scope and drawing extensively on archaeological evidence.
New Medieval Books: History in Flames
Many medieval materials survived for centuries, only to be lost in more recent times to war and violence. This book tells the story of some of Europe’s most important collections that have since vanished.
New Medieval Books: The Romance of the Violet and Other Wager Tales from Medieval France
This book offers translations of three thirteenth-century romances—The Romance of the Violet, The Romance of the Count of Poitiers, and The Tale of King Flore and the Fair Joan—each centred on men who wager over a woman’s virtue.
New Medieval Books: Marco Polo and His World
Marco Polo’s account of his journey to Asia is one of the most well-known texts to come out of the Middle Ages. This book explores the people, places, and wonders that Polo described in his writings.
New Medieval Books: Merovingian Worlds
This book offers an overview of the Merovingian realm, roughly what is now France and parts of neighbouring Western Europe during the 5th to 8th centuries.
New Medieval Books: Annals of Winchester
Covering the years 519 to 1277, this chronicle provides an account of events in England throughout much of the Middle Ages. It includes both the 19th-century Latin edition and an English translation
New Medieval Books: Robert de Vere, Earl of Oxford and Duke of Ireland (1362-1392)
This biography re-examines the life of Robert de Vere, the English nobleman best known as a childhood friend of Richard II. It investigates whether he truly deserved the reputation of a shameless sycophant that medieval chroniclers gave him.
New Medieval Books: Hiding in Caverns Formed from Old Roots
Yu Xuanji is celebrated as the greatest female poet of the Tang Dynasty. This book presents the original Chinese texts alongside English translations of her surviving poems, as well as selected writings that illuminate her extraordinary life.
New Medieval Books: Inventing the Renaissance
The typical portrayal of Italy in the 15th and 16th centuries is that it was a great era in which everyone produced even greater art. However, this book reveals that the ‘Renaissance’ was not so great after all, as the period was marked by political turmoil, warfare, and tragedy.
New Medieval Books: The Queens and Royal Women of Sweden, c. 970–1330
Over thirty Swedish queens are profiled in this book, the first major study of royal women in Sweden between the 10th and 14th centuries. It offers new insights into the evolution of medieval queenship.
New Medieval Books: The Hippodrome of Constantinople
The Hippodrome of Constantinople stood at the heart of Byzantine public life. This book explores the history of the stadium, the thrilling chariot races it hosted, and the vital role it played in the political, social, and cultural fabric of the empire.
New Medieval Books: Historians on Robin Hood
This collection of 16 essays explores the medieval story of Robin Hood, examining its sources, how it may have been understood by medieval audiences, and what it reveals about the broader fabric of medieval society.
New Medieval Books: The Vikings in Poland
Drawing on a wide range of archaeological evidence, this book offers a detailed reconstruction of the Norse presence in the region of present-day Poland. It sheds new light on their material culture, religion, and interactions with both local populations and the emerging Polish state.
