Medieval Ages

The Middle Ages were a time of wonder. They gave us the first universities, the first eyeglasses and the first mechanical clocks as medieval thinkers sought to understand the world around them, from the passing of the seasons to the stars in the sky. In this book, we walk the path of medieval science with a real-life guide, a 14th-century monk named John of Westwyk - inventor, astrologer, crusader - who was educated in England's grandest monastery and exiled to a clifftop priory.

King Henry is dead, and his son, Edward Longshanks, is on his way back from crusade to claim the crown and impose his iron will on a weakened country. The nobles of north Wales are nervous and grow frustrated at the inaction of their own leader, and make a daring pact to replace him with a figurehead to unite the warring factions against the English prince. In the south, two young men attempt to rebuild their lives after a terrifying ordeal in Acre.

A historical novel set in the early Middle Ages where the young Welsh Princess, Nesta Ferch Rhys, transforms from a naive young girl into a woman who cultivates and manipulates allies and uses her royal connections to achieve her ultimate goal of securing her family's place in history. Nesta was a consort to King Henry I, wife to Gerald of Pembroke and the captive-lover to Owain of Poweys. She is thought to be the original mother to the Tudor and Stuart Dynasties which Princess Diana and John F Kennedy are both descendants.

In the 21st century, most people associate the idea of the possession of a person or place by a malevolent supernatural entity with the medieval world, and particularly with the Catholic Church, but the truth is considerably stranger. Virtually every human culture that has ever existed has talked about both possession and exorcism, a rite or ritual used to free a person or place from possession.

The Migration Age is still envisioned as an onrush of expansionary "Germans" pouring unwanted into the Roman Empire and subjecting it to pressures so great that its western parts collapsed under the weight. Further developing the themes set forth in his classic Barbarians and Romans, Walter Goffart dismantles this grand narrative, shaking the barbarians of late antiquity out of this "Germanic" setting and reimagining the role of foreigners in the later Roman Empire.

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.

The formation of the state is a natural stage in the development of society. This is a very lengthy process, so any event that marks the transition to the state forms of life is very conditional. Primitive society could exist, guided by two basic principles that regulated social life: custom (tradition) and the right of the strong. Centuries-old traditions were rarely challenged, so there was no need for some special mechanisms to ensure their compliance. However, as primitive society gradually changed, the relations between the congeners became more and more diverse.

An action-packed finale to The Chronicles of Robin Hood.AD 1203. Plantagenet England: The mighty overlords of Sherwood Forest wage war against the poor and desperate. The Sheriff of Nottingham and Guy of Gisborne impose a vicious tyranny across the shire.Where is Robin Hood, the leader of the outlaws and rebels? Has he abandoned the persecuted folk of the Forest? As the darkness of winter falls across Sherwood, nobody is sure whether Robin Hood lives or not…Has the revolt against the cruel and powerful overlords been put down at last?This retelling of the Robin Hood legend takes the tale ...

Is the Gate Keeper some sort of demon? The people of this new land seem to think so. For years they have been tormented by a being with abilities eerily similar to Eric's. So how is this foreigner who washed up on their shores any different? Why should they trust him or his companions? The Gate Keeper must prove himself once again. Left with no choice, he must transform before their very eyes to show them the truth. In the eyes of the Gods and in those of the people he serves, he must be...reborn. This book is intended for mature audiences. The Legend of the Gate Keeper Series Reading Order...

To this day, I see it in my nightmares – the decrepit amalgamation of stone and metal looming in the middle of a barren waste – the place that was supposed to be my tomb. Elian's carefree childhood ends after his older brother gets recruited to serve in one of the five watchtowers overlooking the hostile lands. A grim realization dawns on him of the perils the last human Kingdom has to face. The wild hillfolk of the west, the ferocious beasts of the east, and the vast waters of the southern sea that no ship could ever pass. However, these threats pale compared to the evil looming in the...

The Republic of Genoa: The History of the Italian City that Became Influential across the Mediterranean during the Middle Ages examines the highs and lows of Genoa La Superba (“The Proud”), including its humble origins in the first century CE, its felicitous rise after the fall of the Roman Empire, its golden age as a mercantile power during the “Genoese Century,” and its demise at the hands of Napoleon Bonaparte in 1797.

Slavery was widespread all over Europe during the early Middle Ages and Scandinavians, as Stefan Brink illustrates in this book, became a major player in the northern slave trade. Using a wide variety of source materials, including archaeology, runes, Icelandic sagas, early law, place names, personal names, and not least etymological and semantic analyses of the terminology of slaves, Thraldom provides the most comprehensive survey of slavery in the Viking Age.

The world cannot afford to wait any longer. Time has run out. And when the dust clears only one will remain standing. This is why I exist. This is my legacy. The world has fallen into chaos and the lerwicks are the only ones who have any chance of stopping it. It’s a dire situation indeed when the humans who once treated them with such cruelty are now begging for their help. All of Ayrith is at war and suddenly the world has become a much smaller place. Enjoy the exciting conclusion of the Tainted Blood series.

Kithamar is a centre of trade and wealth, an ancient city with a long bloody history where countless thousands live and their stories unfold. This is Alys'. When her brother is murdered, a petty thief from the slums of Longhill sets out to discover who killed him and why. But the more she discovers about him, the more she learns about herself, and the truths she finds are more dangerous than knives.

The small picturesque hamlet of Mellester in Devonshire, England, is home to herdsman, Godwin Read and his son, Odo. When the aging knight, Sir William Ainsley, Lord of Mellester Manor goes on a hunt for wild boar, the inexplicable happens, and Godwin makes a decision that will ultimately impact their lives and Mellester Manor for ever. Set during the tumultuous reign of King Henry II, in feudal England, the quiet and peace of Mellester Manor is shaken by the unexpected. For Odo, there is more at stake than just his dignity and pride because they’ve already been taken, all he has left is ...

Paul grows up in a typical village in England toward the end of the reign of Henry III. He plays in the medieval mud; he helps his doting mother to make and sell string; he befriends a basilisk. But when he is finally orphaned, Paul begins to wonder about the world outside Dundonnedon. Once he leaves home to find his fortune, Paul quickly learns that it takes more than he has to survive in ye big, olde world. He falls in with a traveling troupe of actors keeping a secret... meets a musical trio of meandering wastrels... waits tables at a family-friendly tavern in the angriest town in the ...

The story of the wars and conquests initiated by the first Crusade and its successors is itself so compelling that most accounts move quickly from describing the Pope's calls to arms to the battlefield. In this highly original and enjoyable new book, Christopher Tyerman focuses on something obvious but overlooked: the massive, all-encompassing, and hugely costly business of actually preparing a crusade.

In the frozen North, steel is law. Loyalty is brittle. And the sword’s whispers grow colder with every mile. Erikson Gray survived the Sacred Grove, but the North offers no refuge—only frostbitten warlords, ancient grudges, and a realm cracking beneath the weight of betrayal. The Circle of Eight rules these lands with blade and blood, and they will not bow to a southern boy, cursed blade or no. To prevent the empire’s collapse, Erik must forge an alliance among men who would rather see him dead. But Lightbearer whispers of conquest. Of strength. Of dominion. And in a land where trust ...

There can be no doubt that military conflict between France and England dominated European history in the 14th and 15th centuries. The Hundred Years War is of considerable interest both because of its duration and the number of theatres in which it was fought. Drawing on the latest research for this new edition, Hundred Years War expert Professor Anne Curry examines how the war can reveal much about the changing nature of warfare: the rise of infantry and the demise of the knight; the impact of increased use of gunpowder and the effect of the war on generations of people.

The Gate Keeper has been named... The prophesies have come true... The world as we know it will never be the same... End of Days is the exciting conclusion to "The Legend of the Gate Keeper" series. Join Eric and his friends as they make their final stand against the forces of evil. This book is intended for mature audiences. The Legend of the Gate Keeper Series Reading Order: The Shadow: (A standalone prequel: Book 0) Land of Shadows: (Book 1) Siege of Night: (Book 2) Lost Empire: (Book 3) Reborn: (Book 4) The Trials of Ashbarn: (Book 5) End of Days (Book 6) Final Book