Henry V: More Than a Warrior-King
A teenage prince wounded in battle, a king who defied the odds in France, and a ruler whose legacy still shapes how we see the Hundred Years’ War—Henry V was far more complex than the legend suggests. Michael Livingston explores the experiences that forged his character, revealing a leader who combined battlefield brilliance with calculated political ambition.
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:…
Buddhist Warrior Monks: The Sohei of Medieval Japan
Explore the history of Japan’s sohei, the Buddhist warrior monks who fought for power, shaped temple rivalries, and played a key role in medieval conflicts.
The Carolingian–Abbasid Axis: Charlemagne and the Caliphate
David Bachrach explores the ties between the Carolingian and Abbasid empires, showing how diplomacy, trade, and shared interests connected the early medieval world.
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.
The ‘Tricks of Monks’: Fake Miracles and Medieval Christians in The Book of Charlatans
A 13th-century Arabic text reveals how monks staged fake miracles and deceived Christian audiences, offering insights into medieval Muslim–Christian relations.
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.
How Byzantines Saw Themselves: Romans, Not “Byzantines”
The Byzantines never called themselves Byzantines. Zoe Tsiami explores how they understood their Roman identity across the Middle Ages.
New Medieval Books: Vikings, Knights, Elves, and Ogres
This collection of nine essays explores medieval literature from England and Scandinavia, bringing together studies on figures and texts including Beowulf, Sir Gawain, the wolf Fenrir and Tolkien.
The Strange Ritual Before Medieval Duels: Why Opponents Touched
Why did medieval opponents touch before combat? Lorris Chevalier explores the ritual, revealing how law and emotion intersected in duelling practices.
The 5 Most Common Jobs in a Medieval City
What were the most common jobs in a late medieval city? In this piece, we’ll look at the case of fifteenth-century Montpellier, a city located in the South of France.
New Medieval Books: Vikings Behaving Reasonably
This book offers more than just a clever title. It shows how Norse communities relied on the ideal of hóf—a cultural expectation of moderation and restraint—to resolve disputes and maintain order, often without the need for a strong central authority.
10 New Medieval Studies Articles You Can Read Right Now (Free & Open Access)
Looking for new research on the Middle Ages without hitting a paywall? Here are ten open-access articles published in February and March 2026, covering everything from Beowulf to “finding” a battlefield.
New Online Course: Exploring the Troubadours, Trobairitz, and Trouvères
This three-week course begins on April 18th, with live sessions each Saturday from 1:00 to 3:00 pm EST.
Did People Run in the Middle Ages?
Running in the Middle Ages was more common than expected, with medieval sources revealing evidence of speed, endurance, and foot travel among messengers, soldiers, and ordinary people.
New Medieval Books: Flattening the Medieval Earth
When did the myth that medieval people believed the Earth was flat begin? This book explores how that idea emerged around the year 1600. To be clear, people in the Middle Ages did not believe the world was flat.
New Online Course: William Marshal: ‘The Greatest Knight of all the World’
This six-week course begins on April 15th, with live sessions each Wednesday from 1:00 to 3:00 pm EST.
Villain or Defender of the Faith? The Complex Life of Thomas Arundel
Was Thomas Arundel a ruthless persecutor or a defender of the English Church? Chris Given-Wilson’s new book revisits one of the most powerful—and controversial—figures of late medieval England, revealing a far more complex man behind the reputation.
Marc Bloch’s Feudal Society: Why It Still Matters Today
Joëlle Rollo-Koster looks back on Feudal Society by Marc Bloch. The first in a series where she reviews some of the most important books in medieval studies.
How Medieval Normandy Managed Its Forests
Forests were at the heart of medieval life, supplying everything from fuel and building materials to grazing land and industrial resources. Danny Lake-Giguère examines how rulers in Normandy developed increasingly sophisticated systems to regulate, protect, and profit from these vital landscapes.
Burghal Hidage and Assault Forces in Medieval Siege Warfare
How large did an army need to be to successfully storm a fortified town in the early Middle Ages? David Bachrach uses the Burghal Hidage to uncover what this remarkable document reveals about the scale of assault forces and the realities of medieval siege warfare.
12 Strange Magical Beliefs from the Middle Ages
Explore 12 strange magical beliefs from the Middle Ages, from werewolves to love spells, based on an 11th-century penitential handbook.
Byzantine Court Etiquette Was Basically Political Theatre
Zoe Tsiami on how Byzantine court etiquette turned imperial rule into political theatre, using ritual, symbolism, and spectacle to project power and reinforce hierarchy.
The Battle of Tours (732)
Though often regarded as one of the most important battles of the Middle Ages, the Battle of Tours remains shrouded in uncertainty. In this episode of Bow & Blade, Michael and Kelly explore the limited evidence to uncover where the battle may have been fought and what might have taken place there.