English Middle Ages

It could be said that European kings and nobles in the Middle Ages were Crusade mad. The enormous amount of fighting men who periodically sailed off to the Near East to do battle with Muslims are evidence of the widespread popularity of overseas adventurism at the time. The notion of a Crusade, in which large armies assembled from various regions of Europe for the purpose of doing battle with Turkish and Arab Muslims, became so fixed that it was expanded to include Crusades against heretical European Christian sects.

Whose Middle Ages? is an interdisciplinary collection of short, accessible essays intended for the nonspecialist listener and ideal for teaching at an undergraduate level. Each of 22 essays takes up an area where digging for meaning in the medieval past has brought something distorted back into the present: in our popular entertainment; in our news, our politics, and our propaganda; and in subtler ways that inform how we think about our histories, our countries, and ourselves. Each author looks to a history that has refused to remain past and uses the tools of the academy to read and re-read familiar stories, objects, symbols, and myths.

Pleasure Atlas is an erotic odyssey across continents and bodies, tracing the story of Tom Fields — a 51-year-old man searching for pleasure and new parts of himself in the lovers he meets. From Amazonian Brazil to the bathhouses of Thailand, to the dark, pulsing alleys of Berlin, each encounter leaves a mark that lingers. Tom's travels map the borders between lust and love, escape and arrival, as he encounters lovers who reveal who he is when no one’s watching, and the man he could become if he indulges in his own raw impulses. Through unfiltered sex and tender longing, Pleasure Atlas ...

Nine-year-old Max Beatty is still struggling with the recent death of his father. One day after school, he follows an injured dog into a condemned house, ravaged by fire. To Max’s amazement, he finds himself inside a beautiful home, inhabited by a loving family from the 1930s. Max’s interactions with the family will change not only his life, but those of everyone around him, both living and dead. Part ghost story, part coming-of-age thriller, The Ghosts of Normal follows Max’s struggle to separate fantasy from reality, long enough to bring a killer to justice.

In this groundbreaking book, renowned scholar Philip Jenkins explores a vast and forgotten network of the world’s largest and most influential Christian churches that existed to the east of the Roman Empire. These churches and their leaders ruled the Middle East for centuries and became the chief administrators and academics in the new Muslim empire. The author recounts the shocking history of how these churches—those that had the closest link to Jesus and the early church—eventually died.

Until Scandinavia converted to Christianity and came under the rule of powerful kings, the Vikings were a dominant force in the medieval world. Outfitted with wind-powered sailing ships, they left their mark, spreading terror across Europe, sacking cities, deposing kings, and ransacking economies. But as much as we know about this culture, there is a large missing piece: its women. In this revisionist portrait, science journalist Heather Pringle turns those assumptions on their head, using the latest archaeological research and historical findings to reveal this group as they actually were.

You don’t have to gain weight as you age. That’s the simple yet revolutionary promise of The Whole Body Reset, which uncovers why standard diet and exercise advice stops working for us as we approach midlife—and reveals how simple changes to the way we eat can halt, and even reverse, age-related weight gain and muscle loss. The Whole Body Reset presents stunning new evidence about the power of “protein timing” for people at midlife.

What if you lived in a world where you could 3D print a perfect version of anything you wanted—in an instant? And what if you could, just as quickly, rip apart any object and break it down into the dust of the universe? In the next century, this earth-shattering technology is a reality. Matter, not money, has become the key to power. Young Zavier Vik follows his war-hero sister into the Global Maker Corps to make the world safer. But, while Makers use their OzTech printers to create and build, their enemies—the Rippers—seek to destroy and take away what people have. The Maker Corps ...

Katarina was sold away to a man she did not know. Such was the fate of many a young girl in the 17th century.The marriage would combine the power of two families. Fate has other ideas. Not only is she saved from the old, wicked Count, she is found by a powerful man. But there is much more to her than she knows. Heinrich is going to save her - just in time. #TheStoryTeller

Harald Sigurdsson burst into history as a teenaged youth in a Viking battle from which he escaped with little more than his life and a thirst for vengeance. But from these humble origins, he became one of Norway’s most legendary kings. The Last Viking is a fast-moving narrative account of the life of King Harald Hardrada, as he journeyed across the medieval world, from the frozen wastelands of the North to the glittering towers of Byzantium and the passions of the Holy Land, until his warrior death on the battlefield in England.

Girls aged 9-12 will love WILD CHILD! This is the second part of this fantastic series, and includes Book 4 - Holidays, Book 5 - Gone, and Book 6 - Changes. Book 4 - Holidays: Sydney and Harper are spending the holidays together. They're going to Venus Beach, Sydney's old hometown, with Sydney's mom. When they find out that Elliot is also going to the same place, both girls are happy and extremely excited. Harper plans for Elliot to become her boyfriend, and for Sydney to get together for her old flame, Charlie. The girls also get together with Sydney's old friends...Sandy, Rach, and Susie....

From the imagination of author: E. R. Root comes a novella from the World of Mojahr. The Corsairs take center stage as Lord Grayson and his crew go on a quest for the Emerald of Fortune. Their only problem? The legendary Rolokean General, The Huntress wants the gem as well.

When Carolina Cunningham’s perfect life in retirement at the Villas begins to feel less than perfect, she realizes something is missing in her life. Even though she finds enjoyment reading her Mrs. Craycraft Super Agent books, she wants something more. When she decides what is missing in her life is adventure, excitement, and romance, she convinces two bridge-playing friends to take a Caribbean cruise onboard The Emerald Dream. During the cruise, the women cross paths with a stowaway, a hunky spy, a smuggling ring, assassins, and kidnappers. As their fears are brushed aside by authorities...

At first blush, fifty-two-year-old Renee Harris appears to be a confident sophisticated woman. Hidden are the scars of deep pain and fear. A meeting in an ordinary elevator will not only take Renee to the designated floor but also on a journey of discovery. Chaplain Lance Freeman’s only thought is to help a family in their hour of need though unknown to him, the woman in the elevator needs him more than the family down the hall. Elevators can be strange things. Full of ups and downs, they may be used as a vehicle to change the course of someone’s life. Renee and Lance are about to find ...

More than eight centuries after his death, Saladin's life and reign represent the pinnacle of the Arab world's glory. Saladin is widely considered one of the greatest generals in history and one of the most famous leaders of the Middle Ages, but he remains a paradox, both in personal and in historical terms. A military genius, he first served other generals and was overshadowed later in life by his greatest rival, Richard I of England. He was far more admired by his Christian enemies, who extolled his chivalry, than some of his Muslim rivals.

On a chilly November night in 1407, Louis of Orleans was murdered by a band of masked men. The crime stunned and paralyzed France since Louis had often ruled in place of his brother King Charles, who had gone mad. As panic seized Paris, an investigation began. In charge was the Provost of Paris, Guillaume de Tignonville, the city's chief law enforcement officer - and one of history's first detectives. As de Tignonville began to investigate, he realized that his hunt for the truth was much more dangerous than he ever could have imagined.

Fearless Paths: Inspirational Sports Stories of Self-Discovery for Teens to Build Courage, Resilience, Friendship, and Unity is a heartwarming and empowering collection of short stories crafted especially for boys. Each story dives into the real emotions, challenges, and triumphs that come with growing up and discovering who you really are. Whether it’s stepping up for a teammate, conquering stage fright, surviving a weekend without screens, or learning to forgive, the characters in Fearless Paths show that true strength often comes from the most unexpected places. These realistic, ...

The year 1316 was a bleak one for anyone who lived in the North of England. King Edward II had been humiliated at Bannockburn two years before, and appeared to be powerless against his cousin and political adversary, Thomas earl of Lancaster. Both men ignored the Northern counties of England as they continued their power struggle, leaving Robert Bruce a free hand to raid as widely and often as he wished. Only one man offered any hope to the beleaguered Northerners. Andrew de Harcla had led the defence of Carlisle the previous year, proving that the Scots were not invincible, but he had been...

Exiled after a battle that left all five Clans devastated, ThunderClan’s loyal deputy, Squirrelflight, must bring to light an earth-shattering truth: the identity of the cat ruling ThunderClan while wearing Bramblestar’s face. While the fate of his body hangs in the balance, the real Bramblestar’s spirit has vanished. Even Rootspring is powerless to reach him - and with tensions among the Clans at a breaking point, Squirrelflight may not be able to ensure Bramblestar has a body to which to return. If he returns at all.

Do you hate the term “middle age?” So does Kristin van Ogtrop, who is still trying to come up with a less annoying way to describe those years when you find yourself both satisfied and outraged, confident and confused, full of appreciation but occasional disdain for the world around you.