New Medieval Books: A Medieval Case for Islam’s Superiority
At the end of the eighth century, the Abbasid caliph sent a letter to the Byzantine emperor. This book presents a new edition and translation of that remarkable text—one of the earliest surviving defences of Islam—offering a rare insight into how its author explained Islamic belief and set out what he believed Christianity had misunderstood.
The Battle of Verneuil (1424)
After Henry V’s death, the Hundred Years’ War flares back to life as a Franco-Scottish army confronts the English in Normandy. In this episode of Bow & Blade, Michael and Kelly dig into the Battle of Verneuil—one of the war’s bloodiest clashes—and why it mattered.
New Medieval Books: Blessed Mary and the Monks of England
Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ, has long stood at the centre of Christian theology and devotion. This book explores how English monks expressed their reverence for her—and how they held her up as a model for Christian life.
Yuval Noah Harari: From Medievalist to Global Cultural Prophet
How did Yuval Noah Harari move from a historian of medieval warfare to one of the world’s most influential public intellectuals? This article explores his path from medieval studies to global cultural prophecy—and the medieval roots of his ideas about history, power, and the future.
A Murder in Crusader Acre: The Assassination of Conrad of Montferrat
In 1192, Conrad of Montferrat, Jerusalem’s king-elect, was stabbed to death in crusader Acre—an infamous medieval assassination surrounded by suspects, politics, and mystery.
New Medieval Books: A Crusade Against the Turks as a Means of Reforming the Church
By the end of the Middle Ages, the Catholic Church faced deep and widely recognised crises of authority and reform. This book explores how two hermits responded with a striking proposal: that the pope himself should lead a new crusade as a remedy for the Church’s troubles.
The End of the World in Images: The Picture Book of the Life of St John and the Apocalypse
A look at the Picture Book of the Life of St John and the Apocalypse, a richly illustrated late medieval manuscript showing how Revelation was told through images.
New Medieval Books: No Return
Usury—the practice of lending money at interest—became a major social flashpoint in western Europe during the Middle Ages. This book traces how resentment of usury fuelled hostility that, in many places, escalated into the expulsion of Jewish communities and other Christian moneylenders.
Military Education in Early Medieval Europe: Learning from Books
Discover how early medieval commanders were trained using books, manuals, and historical texts—revealing the role of reading in preparing leaders for war, sieges, and logistics.
New Medieval Books: The Forsaken 14th Century
Covering every region of the world, this book introduces readers to the many states and cultures that existed through an era of sweeping change and major catastrophes.
Online Course: The Normans in Europe
Explore the development of the Normans in Normandy, England, and the Mediterranean and learn about their political and cultural achievements. The five-week course starts February 7th.
Rules of a Medieval Library
No stealing, no talking, no women – the rules you had to follow in a medieval library!
New Medieval Books: Twenty-Five Women Who Shaped the Italian Renaissance
Between the 15th and 17th centuries, Italian women left a clear imprint as rulers, writers, artists, and intellectuals. This book profiles 25 of them, tracing their lives, work, and the worlds they moved through.
Talking Templars: Assassins versus Templars
The Assassins and the Knights Templar have become two of the most iconic groups of fighters from the period of the Crusades. In recent times, they have been popularised through the video game and movie franchise, Assassin’s Creed. But who were they really and how did they interact in the Holy Land?
From Holy War to Heritage: Places to Visit if You Want to Understand the Baltic Crusades
Stone castles, brick churches, and orderly new towns still line the Baltic coast—evidence of how the Baltic Crusades remade a medieval frontier. Aleksander Pluskowski traces the routes of conquest and conversion through the sites you can visit today.
New Medieval Books: The Florentine florin
This open-access book traces the rise of the Florentine florin, the gold coin first minted by Florence in the mid-thirteenth century. More than a merchant’s currency, it became a monetary powerhouse sought after by traders, kings, and popes alike.
Reading in Byzantium: Literacy, Books, and a World of Texts
In Byzantium, reading wasn’t just private study—it was performed aloud in churches and monasteries, woven into government, and preserved in precious manuscripts. Zoe Tsiami explores who could read, what they read, and how texts shaped everyday life.
New Medieval Books: Old High German Poetry
Old High German was spoken between the eighth and eleventh centuries, and a small but significant body of its literature has survived. This anthology brings together editions and translations of about a dozen poetic works, spanning subjects from religious devotion to historical narrative.
Montaillou to ICE: The Medieval Roots of Snitching
Historian Joëlle Rollo-Koster explores how denunciation and “snitching” helped power the medieval Inquisition, and why similar dynamics of reporting and surveillance still matter today.
Hattin and the Templars’ Last Stand
A look at the Battle of Hattin in 1187 and the Templars’ last stand—desperate charges, the collapse of the crusader army, and Saladin’s revenge.
New Medieval Books: Mongol Invasion against Europe (1236-1242)
The 27 articles in this collection explore the lead-up to, course of, and aftermath of the Mongol campaigns into Rus and Eastern Europe in the mid-13th century, examining one of the period’s most consequential military and political upheavals.
Women Beyond the Cross: Power, Myth, and Agency in the Viking World
Explore how women in the Viking world exercised power and agency through myth, law, and daily life—challenging the idea that medieval society universally confined women to subordinate roles.
The Battle of Dupplin Moor (1332)
Scotland’s in turmoil in the 1330s—and Edward III spots an opening. In this episode of Bow & Blade, Michael and Kelly break down the Battle of Dupplin Moor, where tactics, terrain, and timing turn chaos into catastrophe.
New Medieval Books: The Horse in History
This collection of 11 essays focuses on the equipment used by people with their horses—from saddles to spurs—while honouring the scholarship of John Clark. Its chapters range widely in time and place, exploring not only gear but also training, folklore, and the meanings attached to horses.
