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 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: 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.
New Medieval Books: A Medieval Cabinet of Curiosities
It is often said that every object tells a story. This book brings that idea to life through fifty items from the Middle Ages, ranging from spoons to shields.
New Medieval Books: The First King of England
This biography tells the story of how Æthelstan rose from King of the Anglo-Saxons to King of the English. In doing so, he became a central figure in the creation of a new nation during the tenth century
New Medieval Books: Natural and Supernatural in Early Medieval England
Were strange creatures believed to inhabit the lands just beyond the known world? Could an illness be cured by a plant or a magic spell? As this book reveals, people in medieval England grappled with questions such as these.
New Medieval Books: King Arthur
This book revives the debate over who King Arthur was and whether he was a historical figure. It also examines his portrayal in medieval Welsh and English literature and the ways modern scholars have interpreted those traditions.
New Medieval Books: How Genre Governs Creation in the Medieval Icelandic Sagas
Icelandic sagas are a unique form of medieval literature that can be difficult to understand. This book uses ideas about genre, including some drawn from film studies, to offer new ways of reading and interpreting them.
New Medieval Books: People of the Image: Jews and Art
Histories of medieval art usually focus on works made by and for Christians. This book instead explores art created by and for Jewish communities, revealing new perspectives on how people understood and experienced the medieval world.
New Medieval Books: The North Caucasian Kingdom of Alania, 850–1240
The medieval world saw many kingdoms and states rise to dominate their regions, only to collapse and fade from memory. This book tells the story of one such realm—Alania—and traces its nearly 400 years of history.
New Medieval Books: Constructing the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles
Few texts are as important to our understanding of early medieval England as the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. This book investigates how the Chronicle came into being and how generations of scribes and scholars sustained the project for over 200 years.
New Medieval Books: Depicting the Holy War
How did Europeans view the crusades during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries? According to this book, the answer is literally painted on the walls. It examines five sets of murals from the period, revealing how medieval people chose to depict, remember, and interpret the crusades.
New Medieval Books: Saint Benedict, Montecassino, and the Crisis of Ninth-Century Southern Lombards in Early Medieval Cassinese Memory
Southern Italy in the ninth century was beset by warfare, political rivalry, and frequent Muslim raids. The monks of Montecassino Abbey witnessed these turbulent times and left behind a valuable account, translated here.
New Medieval Books: Medieval Mining and Power in Thirteenth-Century Europe
Silver mines, flooded tunnels, and fierce political rivalries lay at the heart of a medieval struggle for wealth and power in the Alps. This book reveals how controlling water and underground resources helped reshape society, technology, and economic life in thirteenth-century Europe.