The Encyclopedia of the Middle Ages

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As greater numbers of naysayers look forward to the collapse of civilization, perhaps it's best to see what happened last time. It turns out the Dark Ages weren't so bad--in fact, after reading through The Encyclopedia of the Middle Ages, you might find yourself pining for the good old days before the Renaissance. Historian Norman F. Cantor has assembled a crack team of experts to unleash their copious knowledge on our modern world; better still, Viking Press has enlisted excellent designers to present the information efficiently and even beautifully. You'll find yourself irresistibly drawn from one entry to the next (there are over 600, so leave time for browsing) as the story of the Council of Nicaea leads on to explorations of medieval Christianity and much more. Twenty longer essays on general topics provide the foundation for the rest of the Encyclopedia and make great reading on their own, but the meat of the book is in the details. Lavishly illustrated in both color and black-and-white, including artworks, maps, and timetables, this reference work looks as good on the shelf as it does on the coffee table. --Rob Lightner

Book Description

From the world's most distinguished medievalist comes a lively and vivid account of the lords and ladies, saints and scholars, kings and peasants who shaped the history and culture of one of the richest and most misunderstood periods in history. In this full-color, landmark reference, Cantor and a team of scholars and experts explore the entire medieval world--from the British Isles to the Far East, and the great figures--Dante, Chaucer, Aquinas, who defined the period. >From the Crusades to the Vikings, The Encyclopedia of the Middle Ages contains 600 individual entries and over 200 illustrations from world-famous collections, including the British Museum and the Morgan Library. Twenty major essays portraying the lives of Medieval luminaries, and original maps charting military campaigns and developing nations, make this the indispensable home reference for scholars and students.

Customer Reviews:

good work but typos?? hurt.......2004-08-03

This is a beautifully produced book with hundreds of color plates. There are many areas barely touched upon, but this is not a deep work, just one meant to acquaint people with Medieval times and possibly lure to a more in depth study. But since this is an "encyclopedia", I ask did you ever get in depth works there? They are merely the start of a journey. If you think along those lines you will have a clear view of how this books works and serves. So approach it as that and you will be pleased.

It is merely a starting point. Some inaccurate information, so beware to double check sources when using information. Not sure if the errors were done in actual research (hard to believe of a Rhodes Scholar) or just typos. Either way, in a work such as this they really hurt the credibility.

1000 years of History.......2003-06-16

'The Encyclopedia of the Middle Ages', edited by Robert Cantor (Rhodes Scholar, Fulbright Fellow, &c.) is a good reference work, an encyclopedic dictionary, covering the roughly 1000 years from the fall of Rome to the Renaissance. In addition the usual definition-explanation entries, it has three types of sidebar essays: Illuminations, which focus on sources, Life in the Middle Ages, which talks about common life details, and Legend and Lore, which explores imaginative concepts which informed medieval life.

There are maps, literally hundreds of photographs and illustrations, a layout that is inviting for study, reference, or general reading. It is 'easy on the eyes', much more so that a usual encyclopedia.

The scope of this work is also broader than most medieval reference texts. 'Despite what students of medieval history are accustomed to reading, life did exist outside of Europe in the Middle Ages.' That having been said, this is still a very euro-centric book. This book gives a great deal of attention to science, medicine, and other topics often ignored or pushed to the periphery of a more politically-oriented textual treatment.

There is an introductory essay that is well worth reading even if this is meant to be an on-the-shelf-for-reference-only sort of book. In talking about the influence on popular culture of the Middle Ages (everything from The Name of the Rose to the medieval garb, feudal structure and apprenticeship-education framework of Star Wars), Cantor says:

'In order to recognise [this Middle Ages influence] one has to have at some time known, and this has been the job of historians, who today painfully append to Santayana's famous saying (about those forgetting the past being condemned to repeat it) the observation that one cannot forget a history one did not know in the first place.'

Cantor describes twentieth century medievalists as being on a quest for 'wellsprings of a romantic and idealistic consciousness that would inspire a vibrant counterculture.' There is some of that in this book, but largely being encyclopedic rather than analytical and critical in nature, the reader/researcher can use the information contained herein for his own evaluations.

From the Abbadid and Abbasid Dynasties to Yaroslave the Wise and Yugoslavia, from Boethius to Wycliffe, this book has hidden treats and interesting articles for all.

Not a reliable sourcebook for the Middle Ages.......2002-06-27

Supposedly, this book was put together by some of the "world's most distinguished medievalists"! One hopes not! In addition to the glaring errors of taste and judgment pointed out by some of the other reviewers, the factual errors are astonishing! One of the most egregious errors occurs on p. 138: "Eleanor of Aquitaine, wife of two kings, Philip I of France and Henry I of England"!!!!! Eleanor, of course, was the wife of Louis VII of France and of Henry II of England! This kind of sloppiness is simply not acceptable in a book that purports to be by "someof the world's best medieval historians" (fronticepiece). The pictures are pretty; some of the articles are acceptable (but hardly noteworthy), but the book should be avoided at all costs by serious (or would-be) students of the Medieval Period.

Re: John XXIII (not a review).......2001-05-21

In Eric Roth's review of this book, he wonders if listing John XXIII as a pope in the 15th century is a typo. It's not. There was a schismatic pope of that time named John XXIII. (At one point there were three popes!) Since he wasn't universally recognized, he didn't count when John XXIII in the 1960s took the same name.

Beautiful, seductive, and flawed.......2001-01-31

A visually stunning, but often peculiar, work that captures the tone, texture, and ideological obsessions of that distant era.

Perfect for browsing and well-written, this collective effort details the major families, saints, and great cities of the Middle Ages. The concise, yet detailed, entries provide excellent thumbnail sketches.

Yet there are some peculiar features to this ambitious and beautiful encyclopedia. First, there are the baffling typos like listing Pope John XXIII as condemning heretics in the 13th century (p.174... didn't somebody remember the soon to be sainted 20th century Pope John XXIII? Perhaps it was supposed to be John XXII.)

Yet, like some other reader-critics, I found the discussion of Jews to be, well, peculiar. The descriptions sound more medieval than modern. Persecutions are de-emphasized, explained, and almost justified. Consider the following paragraph, under Jews, on p.260: "It is also significant that in the first generation of Dominican inquisitors there were a number of Jewish converts. So the attack of the papal inquisition on the Jews in the 13th century France in part represented a split among the intellectuals of the Jewish community. The same internal culture conflict occurred in the days of the Spanish Inquisition around 1500." Is the author blaming the converted Jews for the torturing and burning of thousands of devout Jews? Is he implying that the inquisition might have been, well, unchristian, and that's because of the converted Jews? What is this nonsense?

Likewise, the four page entry on Jews, single spaced without illustrations, concludes on p.261 with same highly unorthodox assertions about the size and dimensions of the Spanish Inquisition. Mainstream historians estimate the number of murdered Jews between 50,000 -100,000 and forced exile of several hundred thousand. The encyclopedia - without giving sources - says, "the impact has been ridiculously exaggerated. In the whole history of Catholic inquisitions from early 13th century France to early 17th century Spain and Portugal, not more than 5,000 Jewish families suffered capital and less severe punish at the hands of the Church courts." Perhaps the author wants to count families, instead of people, to reduce the number of innocent victims. Or perhaps the author means to shift blame to crazed mobs that burned entire neighborhoods with the blessing of Church authorities... and outside court procedures. Yet murder is murder.

I'm grateful that I bought and read several sections of this important work. It reveals, to me, the danger of excessive romantic imagination and entering the very narrow, often-fanatic mindset of medieval religious authorities.

Book Description

This encyclopedia gathers together the most recent scholarship on Medieval Italy, while offering a sweeping view of all aspects of life in Italy during the Middle Ages. An illustrated A-Z reference, this is a cross-disciplinary resource for information on literature, history, the arts, science, philosophy, and religion in Italy between A.D. 450 and 1375.

Medieval England: An Encyclopedia (Routledge Encyclopedias of the Middle Ages)

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Medieval England: An Encyclopedia (Routledge Encyclopedias of the Middle Ages)
Paul Szarmach
Manufacturer: Routledge
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

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ASIN: 0824057864

Book Description

Gives quick access to medieval England
This valuable reference work offers concise, expert answers to questions on all aspects of life and culture in medieval England-art, architecture, law, literature, kings, commoners, women, music, commerce, technology, warfare, religion, and many others. It takes as its scope English social, cultural, and political life from the Anglo-Saxon invasions in the fifth century to the turn of the sixteenth century. To make it even more useful to information seekers, the Encyclopedia also traces England's ties to the Celtic world of Wales, Scotland, and Ireland, to the French and Anglo-Norman world of the Continent, to the Viking and Scandinavian world of the North Sea, and to the world of medieval Christendom. The result is a detailed portrait of the English Middle Ages and their key historical events, personages, and cultural contexts.

Authoritative, wide-ranging, informative
Multidisciplinary articles bring together a rich variety of scholarly perspectives and individual viewpoints found in no other comparable reference work. More than 700 entries by over 300 international scholars discuss topics ranging from Sedulius to Skelton, from Wulfstan of York to Reginald Pecock, from Pictish art to Gothic sculpture, from the Vikings to the Black Death, from musical instruments to weapons, from Beowulf to The Book of Margery Kempe, from comic tales to religious allegory, from saints to lawyers, from courtly love to prostitution, from mills to monasteries, from Alfred the Great to Geoffrey Chaucer.

Makes further inquiry simple and easy
A subject and name index makes it easy to locate information. Bibliographies direct users to essential primary and secondary sources and recent scholarship. Where possible, bibliographic references have been selected with an eye to accessibility for nonspecialists, although more advanced essential works are also included. Priority has been given to scholarship in English, books and journals likely to be available in university libraries, and general studies that provide good bibliographic and methodological guidance for further study.

Special features
The first comprehensive survey of England in the Middle Ages-in one authoritative volume; Accessible to students and useful to scholars; More than 300 expert contributors provide a stimulating diversity of interpretations and opinions; Explains how English history, literature, arts, and culture developed during the Middle Ages; Devotes substantial coverage to medieval art and architecture; Offers different viewpoints on related or overlapping topics, illuminating the complexities of modern scholarly inquiry; Over 150 illustrations

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A fascinating reader...
Reading in the Middle Ages

The Medieval Reader
Norman F. Cantor
Manufacturer: Collins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0062720554

Book Description

The only book of its kind, The Medieval Reader is a fascinating, illustrated collection of almost 100 first-hand accounts of the period known as the middle ages, roughly from the fourth to the sixteenth centuries. Revealing the medieval world in all its astonishing diversity, the selections reflect the culture of the people who lived during the period, and the contributions they made to their world and our own.

Including, in the best translations, familiar texts such as The Song of Roland, St. Augustine's Confessions and Dante's Divine Comedy, the book also contains the work of many less familiar writers, including prominent medieval women such as Hildegard of Bingen, Christine de Pisan and Margery Kempe. Finally, with the inclusion of many selections illustrating medieval social history, such as The Peasants Revolt of 1381 from the Anonimalle Chronicle, The Medieval Reader brings the Middle Ages to life in a way that no narrative history could.

Customer Reviews:

A fascinating reader..........2004-05-23

Norman Cantor's book is a fascinating collection of a very diverse and pivotal period in history. The Middle Ages, for Cantor, extend from the year 312 (the advent of the first Christian Roman Emperor, signaling in many respects the end of the Classical Age) to the year 1517, the outbreak of the Protestant Reformation, another key paradigm shift in the world. This is reader largely of pieces contemporary for the Middle Ages - there is some commentary provided, but the bulk of the task of presenting the Middle Ages rests upon the texts themselves, most translated anew into English by Cantor and other scholars.

This is also a Western civilisation reader - the Middle Ages is of a time as a well as of a place. The geography is Western Europe, from Ireland to Germany, from Scotland and Scandanavia to Italy and Spain. This was the land of Latin Catholicism, pollinated occasionally by Islamic culture from the south and Byzantine Christianity from the east, but largely undisturbed in its development. This culture represents a system of ideas political, religious and otherwise that formed much of the basis for modern Western culture, whose dominance in the world today is, for better or worse, unmistakable.

Cantor's anthology of 100 key texts is meant to simply the task of determining what is worthwhile reading from this period. Primary texts from the Middle Ages, so defined as comprising more than a thousand years, would include literally thousands of volumes - the output of writers such as Augustine alone could take a lifetime to read. Cantor arranges key texts topically, according to certain classifications - Nobility (including the primary families of the period, a sort of Social Register of royal and landed persons who controlled most of what would be considered state power), Church (the hierarchy and the overall institution), and the Middle Class (yes, there was a Middle Class, both urban and rural, that included knights, gentry, artisans and the like). Taking these classifications, Cantor arranges first texts that show them in as isolated a form as possible, then looks at the ways they interact with each other. The final portions of the text include works that look at problems and crises, and ends with documents of resolution, pacification and incorporation.

This is no mere chronology of texts - the emphasis here is on developing the patterns of society over time in the different strata. Literary works utilised include Beowulf, the Song of Roland, El Cid, the works of Dante, Chaucer, and Malory. Church writers from Augustine, Anselm, Bernard and Aquinas are combined with political writings from those such as Petrarch, Erasmus, and various anonymous documents and letters.

There are some real stunning pieces here - Bernard Gui's Inquisitor's Manual, Maimonides' reflections on Christianity (and one of his radical followers trying to explain why Jewish sex is preferable to Christian sex - something that must be read to be believed!), an account of the murder of Thomas Becket, and more.

Take and read!

Reading in the Middle Ages.......1999-02-19

When I first purchased this book through a mail order book club I was very dubious about ever reading it. It looked very uninteresting. But like the saying goes you can't judge a book by it's cover! And it's true this book has introduced me to so many other medieval authors that it's impossible to count them all. If it had not been for Norman Cantor I would have lost out on a lot of good Medeival reading! Thanks Mr. Cantor.

Historical Dictionary of Medieval Philosophy and Theology (Historical Dictionaries of Religions, Philosophies and Movements)

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Historical Dictionary of Medieval Philosophy and Theology (Historical Dictionaries of Religions, Philosophies and Movements)
Brown Stephen F.
Manufacturer: The Scarecrow Press, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Medieval Thought | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0810853264

Medieval Islamic Civilization: An Encyclopedia (Routledge Encyclopedias of the Middle Ages)

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Medieval Islamic Civilization: An Encyclopedia (Routledge Encyclopedias of the Middle Ages)

Manufacturer: Routledge
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Egypt | Middle East | History | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0415966906

Book Description

Islamic civilization flourished in the Middle Ages across a vast geographical area that spans today's Middle and Near East. Islamic civilization during that era was a thriving society whose contributions in diverse fields as science, medicine, mathematics, literature, and philosophy left an indelible mark on Europe.

Medieval Islamic Civilization examines the socio-cultural history of the regions where Islam took hold between the 7th and 16th century. This important two-volume work contains over 700 alphabetically arranged entries, contributed and signed by international scholars and experts in fields such as Arabic languages, Arabic literature, architecture, art history, history, history of science, Islamic arts, Islamic studies, Middle Eastern studies, Near Eastern studies, politics, religion, Semitic studies, theology, and more. This reference provides an exhaustive and vivid portrait of Islamic civilization including the many scientific, artistic, and religious developments as well as all aspects of daily life and culture. Entries also explore the importance of interfaith relations and the permeation of persons, ideas, and objects across geographical and intellectual boundaries between Europe and the Islamic world.

From the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus to Christian merchants and the Qur'an to Fatima bint Muhammad, Medieval Islamic Civilization brings together in one authoritative resource all aspects of Islamic civilization during the Middle Ages. Accessible to the non-specialist, this resource will be of great use in research and to understand the roots of today's Islamic society as well as to explore the rich and vivid culture of medieval Islamic civilization.

Medieval Science, Technology, and Medicine: An Encyclopedia (Routledge Encyclopedias of the Middle Ages)

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Medieval Science, Technology, and Medicine: An Encyclopedia (Routledge Encyclopedias of the Middle Ages)

Manufacturer: Routledge
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0415969301

Book Description

The popular image of medieval science remains one of a "dark age" when scholasticism and the Catholic Church stifled the achievements of classical thought until the great cultural flowering of the Renaissance. Research in the last few decades has revealed a far different picture. As Medieval Science, Technology, and Medicine demonstrates, the millennium from the fall of the Roman Empire to the flowering of the Renaissance was a period of great intellectual and practical achievement and innovation. In Europe, the Islamic world, South and East Asia, and the Americas, individuals built on earlier achievements and introduced sometimes radical refinements. Some of the individuals are still known today; many more are lost to history. Their achievements remain, however, and far from marking a reversal in human knowledge, laid the foundations for its modern development. They applied not only in well-known fields such as construction and transportation, but also in anesthetics, mechanics, optics, and math.

Medieval Science, Technology, and Medicine details the whole scope of scientific knowledge in the medieval period in more than 300 A to Z entries. This resource discusses the research, application of knowledge, cultural and technology exchanges, experimentation, and achievements in the many disciplines related to science and technology. Coverage includes inventions, discoveries, concepts, places and fields of study, regions, and significant contributors to various fields of science. There are also entries on South-Central and East Asian science. This reference work provides an examination of medieval scientific tradition as well as an appreciation for the relationship between medieval science and the traditions it supplanted and those that replaced it.

Written by a select group of international scholars, Medieval Science, Technology, and Medicine explores the fascinating scientific achievements of the Middle Ages. This reference work will be of great use to scholars, students, and general readers researching topics in many fields of study, including medieval studies, world history, history of science, history of technology, history of medicine, and cultural studies.

The Cadfael Companion: The World of Brother Cadfael

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A must-have companion!

The Cadfael Companion: The World of Brother Cadfael
Robin Whiteman
Manufacturer: Mysterious Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Literature | Encyclopedias | Reference | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0892965134

Customer Reviews:

A must-have companion!.......2007-01-22

I can't believe there are no reviews of this delightful tome. Although it's not indispensable to the enjoyment of the Chronicles themselves, it's actually enjoyable as read-by-itself item. Anyhow, how can anyone fail to want this delightful book after reading through 20 chronicles and one prequel! One's library would not be complete without it. It's full of wonderful "chronicle" information as well as historical information; it answers questions you didn't even think to ask. ONE CAUTIONARY REMARK: Whiteman does "give away" some of the endings in his explanation of who's who, what's what, and where's where; therefore, it's not suitable for looking things up while one is actually in the midst of one of Brother Cadfael's investigations. Otherwise, get it, read it, enjoy it!

Women and Gender in Medieval Europe: An Encyclopedia (Routledge Encyclopedias of the Middle Ages)

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Women and Gender in Medieval Europe: An Encyclopedia (Routledge Encyclopedias of the Middle Ages)

Manufacturer: Routledge
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0415969441

Book Description

From women's medicine and the writings of Christine de Pizan to the lives of market and tradeswomen and the idealization of virginity, gender and social status dictated all aspects of women's lives during the middle ages.

A cross-disciplinary resource, Women and Gender in Medieval Europe examines the daily reality of medieval women from all walks of life in Europe between 450 CE and 1500 CE, i.e., from the fall of the Roman Empire to the discovery of the Americas. Moving beyond biographies of famous noble women of the middles ages, the scope of this important reference work is vast and provides a comprehensive understanding of medieval women's lives and experiences. Masculinity in the middle ages is also addressed to provide important context for understanding women's roles. Entries that range from 250 words to 4,500 words in length thoroughly explore topics in the following areas:

· · Art and Architecture
· Countries, Realms, and Regions
· Daily Life
· Documentary Sources
· Economics
· Education and Learning
· Gender and Sexuality
· Historiography
· Law
· Literature
· Medicine and Science
· Music and Dance
· Persons
· Philosophy
· Politics
· Political Figures
· Religion and Theology
· Religious Figures
· Social Organization and Status

Written by renowned international scholars, Women and Gender in Medieval Europe is the latest in the Routledge Encyclopedias of the Middle Ages. Easily accessible in an A-to-Z format, students, researchers, and scholars will find this outstanding reference work to be an invaluable resource on women in Medieval Europe.

Great Lives from History: The Middle Ages, 477-1453 (Great Lives from History)

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Great Lives from History: The Middle Ages, 477-1453 (Great Lives from History)

Manufacturer: Salem Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

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ASIN: 1587651645

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