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Medieval World

READING AND TRAVEL GUIDE

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Mysteries of the Middle Ages, And the Beginning of the Modern World

Mysteries of the Middle Ages, And the Beginning of the Modern World

by Thomas Cahill

  • HISTORY
  • 2008
  • PAPER
  • 343 PAGES

Cahill deftly evokes the historic glories of the major medieval (and the places they frequented) in this illuminating overview of philosophy, art and literature. (EUR239, $22.00)

A World Lit Only By Fire: The Medieval Mind and the Renaissance, Portrait of an Age

A World Lit Only By Fire: The Medieval Mind and the Renaissance, Portrait of an Age

by William Manchester

  • HISTORY
  • 1993
  • PAPER
  • 322 PAGES

Organized into sections on the Renaissance, Reformation and Discovery, Manchester's popular history evokes in vivid detail the great figures and daily life of the 16th century, including Henry VIII, Magellan, Borgia, da Vinci and Martin Luther. (EUR06, $15.99)

The New Penguin Atlas of Medieval History

The New Penguin Atlas of Medieval History

by Colin McEvedy

  • HISTORY
  • 1992
  • PAPER
  • 112 PAGES

McEvedy deftly sketches the culture, history and society of Medieval Europe in this slim historical atlas. (EUR240, $15.00)

Kristin Lavransdatter: The Wreath, The Wife, The Cross

Kristin Lavransdatter: The Wreath, The Wife, The Cross

by Sigrid Undset | Tina Nunnally

  • LITERATURE
  • 2005
  • PAPER
  • 1184 PAGES

A masterful historical epic by the Nobel Prize-winning author, first published in 1927. This omnibus edition follows the life of one woman from birth to death in devoutly Catholic 14th-century Norway. A cornerstone of Scandinavian literature, the trilogy is a powerful introduction to the medieval society. (NOR40, $25.00)

The Autumn of the Middle Ages

The Autumn of the Middle Ages

by Johan Huizinga

  • HISTORY
  • 1997
  • PAPER
  • 467 PAGES

A pioneering work of social and cultural history, this well-translated classic is a richly detailed portrait of life, thought and art in 14th- and 15th-century France and the Netherlands. (EUR17, $30.00)

 
1066, The Year of the Conquest

1066, The Year of the Conquest


by David Howarth

  • HISTORY
  • 1981
  • PAPER
  • 207 PAGES

A crack medievalist and storyteller, Howarth brings to life the momentous events of 1066 in rich, anecdotal history -- a classic portrait of the Norman invasion and conquest of England. (GBR115, $14.00)

Life in A Medieval Castle

Life in A Medieval Castle


by Francis Gies

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 1989
  • PAPER
  • 272 PAGES
  • YOUNG ADULTS

From lord to servant, this illustrated book describes the daily life of the inhabitants at Chepstow Castle in Wales in the 13th century. (GBR109, $14.99)

Mont Saint Michel and Chartres

Mont Saint Michel and Chartres


by Henry Brooks Adams

  • HISTORY
  • 1986
  • PAPER
  • 398 PAGES

First published at the turn of the century, this classic work is a meditation on the Medieval world as reflected through its most famous religious structures. (FRN44, $17.00)

Plagues and Peoples

Plagues and Peoples


by William McNeill

  • HISTORY
  • 1998
  • PAPER
  • 365 PAGES

This book traces the waves of epidemics that raged through Europe. (EUR26, $17.00)

The Age of the Cathedrals, Art and Society 980-1420

The Age of the Cathedrals, Art and Society 980-1420


by Georges Duby

  • HISTORY
  • 1983
  • PAPER
  • 320 PAGES

The definitive historical study of the building of the great cathedrals. French scholar Duby, writing very accessibly, describes the cathedrals themselves, and the philosophical, religious, and political climate that enabled them to be built. (EUR01, $28.00)

The Last Knight, The Twilight of the Middle Ages and the Birth of the Modern Era


by Norman F. Cantor

  • HISTORY
  • 2005
  • PAPER
  • 288 PAGES

An absorbing history of late 14th-century Europe by the popular medievalist. (EUR184, $13.95)

Cathedrals and Castles, The Cathedral Builders of the Middle Ages

Cathedrals and Castles, The Cathedral Builders of the Middle Ages


by Alain Erlande-Brandenburg

  • ART & ARCHITECTURE
  • 2010
  • PAPER
  • 175 PAGES

This pocket-size encyclopedia of the art, architecture and culture of the Middle Ages features hundreds of drawings, color illustrations and a brief chronology. (MED07, $15.95)

The Gothic Enterprise, A Guide to Understanding the Medieval Cathedral

The Gothic Enterprise, A Guide to Understanding the Medieval Cathedral


by Robert A. Scott

  • ART & ARCHITECTURE
  • 2005
  • PAPER
  • 294 PAGES

An enthusiast, Scott presents history, design, architecture and wonder of the medieval cathedral and the great Abbey churches. (EUR190, $21.95)

Dante


by R.W. Lewis

  • BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
  • 2001
  • HARD COVER
  • 224 PAGES

A brief, literate biography of the exceptionally literate Dante Alighieri. (ITL313, $19.95)

Beowulf


by Seamus Heaney

  • LITERATURE
  • 2001
  • PAPER
  • 215 PAGES

A best-selling, critically acclaimed verse translation of the seminal Anglo-Saxon epic, which tells of a Scandinavian hero's bravery in defending Denmark from the monster Grendel. Nobel laureate Seamus Heaney translated. (SCN27, $13.95)

In a Dark Wood Wandering, A Novel of the Middle Ages

In a Dark Wood Wandering, A Novel of the Middle Ages


by Hella Haasse

  • LITERATURE
  • 1991
  • PAPER
  • 594 PAGES

With a cast of thousands including Joan of Arc and the Dukes of Burgundy, this 1949 historical novel renders the political intrigue, people and texture of 15th-century Europe. Haasse captures medieval court life during the Hundred Years War. (FRN86, $21.95)

The Canterbury Tales (In Modern English)


by Geoffrey Chaucer | Nevill Coghill

  • LITERATURE
  • 2003
  • PAPER
  • 504 PAGES

A Penguin Classics edition of the cornerstone of medieval English literature, Chaucer's unfinished tales of pilgrims en route to Canterbury. (GBR250, $10.00)

The Inferno of Dante, A New Verse Translation


by Dante Alighieri | Robert Pinsky

  • LITERATURE
  • 1996
  • PAPER
  • 355 PAGES

The celebrated modern translation of Dante's "Inferno." (ITL411, $12.00)

More Recommendations

Here are some other groups of books that might be of interest

Longitude provides recommended reading for travelers in partnership with the leading tour operators and travel programs for hundreds of destinations worldwide. We've got the classic, new and hard-to-find books and maps to help you get the most out of your adventures.