New Medieval Books: Merits of the Plague
Part of Penguin Classics, this is a translation of an early fifteenth-century work about the Black Death and plagues. Written in Egypt, it is a valuable addition to our understanding of the pandemic and how people reacted to it.
New Medieval Books: Tales of Merlin, Arthur, and the Magic Arts
Tales of Merlin, Arthur, and the Magic Arts: From the Welsh Chronicle of the Six Ages of the World By Elis Gruffydd, translated…
New Medieval Books: The World of Wu Zhao
This is a good supplemental piece for those interested in the life and times of Wu Zhao or Tang Dynasty China.
New Medieval Books: Medieval Muslim Mirrors for Princes
You can read from nine texts from the medieval Islamic world that fall into the genre ‘Mirrors for Princes’ – political advice for a ruler. Many are translated for the first time, and give their views on topics such as the Nature of Sovereignty, the King’s Character, Royal Authority, and Good Governance.
New Medieval Books: Erotic Medievalisms: Medieval Pleasures Empowering Marginalized People
The overriding factor on whether or not you want to read this book will probably be how comfortable you are with ‘kinky’ sex.
New Medieval Books: The Doctors’ Dinner Party by Ibn Butlan
One does not often see works of satire from the Middle Ages, so this will be of interest to those who want to know more about medieval humour.
New Medieval Books: Matthew Paris on the Mongol Invasion in Europe
This book can be seen as a case study to help answer the author’s question: “What is history and how did Matthew view his duty as a historian?”
Women in the Crusades with Helen Nicholson
From supplying food and medical treatment, to lending emotional and financial support, to occasionally engaging in combat, women were to be found in and around every major conflict of the Middle Ages. This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Helen J. Nicholson about the role of women in the most famous clashes of the medieval period: the crusades.
New Medieval Books: Balthazar: A Black African King in Medieval and Renaissance Art
Based on an exhibition held at the Getty Museum, it looks at medieval depictions of the Black magus and what it tells us about depictions of Black people in the pre-modern era.
New Medieval Books: A Constellation of Authority: Castilian Bishops and the Secular Church During the Reign of Alfonso VIII
This book profiles seven bishops from the reign of Alfonso VIII, King of Castile from 1158 to 1214. It examines their careers and what role they functioned in the Castilian government.