King Edward II was murdered by the lover of his estranged Queen Isabella, Sir Roger Mortimer. This biography of 14th century England's evil genius offers a new and controversial theory regarding the fate of Edward II.

    Here he describes feasting and society, the mead hall as living and ritual space, food and feasting equipment, positions of power, and entertainment. He includes a glossary with pronunciations, and sa

    Almost as much as Jerusalem itself, Constantinople was the key to the foundation, survival and ultimate eclipse of the crusading kingdom. The Byzantines had developed an ideology over seven hundred years which placed Constantinople, rather than Rome or Jerusalem, at the centre of the world. The attitudes of its rulers reflected this priority, and led to tension with the crusaders over military and diplomatic strategy. At the same time, the riches and sophistication of the great city made a lasting impression on the crusaders. In the end, the lure of the city's wealth was fatal to the claims of Christian unity. In April 1204, the Fourth Crusade under the Venetian doge Enricho Dandolo captured and sacked Constantinople, signalling the effective end of almost a thousand years of Byzantine dominance in the east.

     Drawing on a lifetime's experience of studying, teaching, editing, and writing about Shakespeare, Stanley Wells combines scholarly authority with authorial flair in a book that will appeal equally to the specialist and the untutored enthusiast. Chapters on Shakespeare's life in Stratford and in London offer a fresh view of the development of the writer's career and personality. At the core of the book lies a magisterial study of the writings themselves--how Shakespeare set about writing a play, his relationships with the company of actors with whom he worked, his developing mastery of the literary and rhetorical skills that he learned at the Stratford grammar school, the essentially theatrical quality of the structure and language of his plays. Subsequent chapters trace the fluctuating fortunes of his reputation and influence. Here are accounts of adaptations, productions, and individual performances in England and, increasingly, overseas; of great occasions such as the Garrick Jubilee and the tercentenary celebrations of 1864; of the spread of Shakespeare's reputation in France and Germany, Russia and America, and, more recently, the Far East; of Shakespearian discoveries and forgeries; of critical reactions, favorable and otherwise, and of scholarly activity; of paintings, music, films and other works of art inspired by the plays; of the plays' use in education and the political arena, and of the pleasure and intellectual stimulus that they have given to an increasingly international public. Shakespeare, said Ben Jonson, was not of an age but for all time. This is a book about him for our time.

    You Wouldn't Want to... revels in the darker side of life in ancient times. The reader is on center stage as he or she gets a tour through life as a slave, warrior, explorer -- even a mummy! Hilarious illustrations, captions, and sidebars leave no doubt that you simply wouldn't want to be there.You'll have to pay an entry fee to land a job as a medieval gaoler! Sure, you could grow rich taking bribes from prisoners. You might even make enough money to retire -- unless the enemies you make (and you'll make a lot!) find a reason to toss you in the dungeon too....

    His ideas spread like wildfire across Europe, offering the scientific view that the natural world, including the soul of man, was a proper subject of study. The rediscovery of these ancient ideas sparked riots and heresy trials, caused major upheavals in the Catholic Church, and also set the stage for today's rift between reason and religion. In Aristotle's Children, Richard Rubenstein transports us back in history, rendering the controversies of the Middle Ages lively and accessible-and allowing us to understand the philosophical ideas that are fundamental to modern thought.

    Castles is an exciting series of books for children who are beginning to read on their own. The easy-to-read text has been specially written with the help of a reading expert.Information for Young Readers - Level 1

    Includes background information, character summary, and commonly asked questions.

    Those who have unearthed them, from the middle ages to the present, have speculated widely on their meaning. This authoritative book makes a major contribution to the study of death and burial in late antique and early medieval society with its long overdue systematic discussion of this mortuary evidence. Tracing the history of Merovingian archaeology within its cultural and intellectual context for the first time, Effros exposes biases and prejudices that have colored previous interpretations of these burial sites and assesses what contemporary archaeology can tell us about the Frankish kingdoms.Working at the intersection of history and archaeology, and drawing from anthropology and art history, Effros emphasizes in particular the effects of historical events and intellectual movements on French and German antiquarian and archaeological studies of these grave goods. Her discussion traces the evolution of concepts of nationhood, race, and culture and shows how these concepts helped shape an understanding of the past. Effros then turns to contemporary multidisciplinary methodologies and finds that we are still limited by the types of information that can be readily gleaned from physical and written sources of Merovingian graves. For example, since material evidence found in the graves of elite families and particularly elite men is more plentiful and noteworthy, mortuary goods do not speak as directly to the conditions in which women and the poor lived. The clarity and sophistication with which Effros discusses the methods and results of European archaeology is a compelling demonstration of the impact of nationalist ideologies on a single discipline and of the struggle toward the more pluralistic vision that has developed in the post-war years.

    The tale of the crossing and the brief Viking settlement in North America has been passed down for a thousand years. Now, Elizabeth Cody Kimmel retells it to a new audience, painting a vivid picture of what Eriksson might have experienced on his great Viking expedition.

    Olivia Remie Constable traces the evolution of this family of institutions from the pandocheion in Late Antiquity to the arrival of European merchants in Islamic markets and the appearance of the fondaco. Constable's study demonstrates the role of common economic interests in their development.

    Intricate in scale and radiant with gold and colors, these manuscripts represent the popular ideal of the medieval illuminated book.The well-loved story is recounted in the words of the Revised Standard Version of the Bible. This masterly translation of the New Testament complements the magnificent illustrations, making this the perfect Christmas gift to be treasured by young and old.With the combination of the beautiful RSV translation and the glorious color miniatures, readers will be deeply inspired by both word and art. The RSV has been acclaimed for many decades as the most accurate, readable and beautiful translation of the Bible in English.

    Paul Stephenson reveals that the legend of the Bulgar-slayer was actually created long after his death. His reputation was exploited by contemporary scholars and politicians to help galvanize support for the Greek wars against Bulgarians in Macedonia during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

    Magnificent Windsor Castle and neighboring Eton College, the ancient educational institutions of Oxford and Shakespeare's hometown of Stratford are the anchor sites. In addition, the book explores the history of the great medieval castles of Kenilworth and Warwick, tours the glorious cathedrals and abbeys of St. Alban's, Dorchester and Reading and drops in for a look at the many medieval and Tudor manor homes, churches, almshouses, barns and other buildings in the region. Centuries will drop away as readers: * Walk with Edward III in the first ceremonial procession of the Order of the Garter, held in 1348 at Windsor Castle; * Slide down a rope of sheets with the Empress Matilda in her dramatic 12th-century escape from a siege of Oxford Castle; * Fight--and die--with Richard III as he struggles to keep England's throne at the Battle of Bosworth; * Dine with Elizabeth I on one of her numerous visits to Kenilworth Castle, one of the many properties that she gave to her favorite courtier Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester; * Pray with Mary Queen of Scots as she waits at Fotheringhay Castle for her cousin Elizabeth to decide her fate. These and many other exciting adventures await readers in the pages of "The Amateur Historian's Guide to the Heart of England."

    Presenting the essence of the modern subject as resting in its subjection to specific historical forms of state power, the author examines literary texts from the Middle Ages that participate in the cultural invention of the subject. Overall, The Subject Medieval/Modern makes a remarkable case for the relevance of studying the Middle Ages to today's world.The book examines the constitution of subjects in literary texts as the result of the interplay of violence, ideology, and political structures as an integral part of the process of state-formation between the ninth and the fifteenth centuries. Each text is considered a singular event, a unique, self-reflexive structure modifying conventions in ideological exploration to offer performative models of subjectivity. Some texts line up with political evolution, others take a critical distance.

    Scribes, Scripts and Readers brings together fifteen essays by M.B. Parkes, the author of English Cursive Book Hands, 1250-1500. Centred on England and her direct neighbours, they deal with scribes and schools of writing, scribal techniques, and wider questions of communication in written language, literacy and the availability of books. This is a book of interest not only to palaeographers but also to historians, linguists, literary scholars and librarians.

    “Alizarin”, a pigment found in madder root, is named after the Persian word for madder dye, “al lizari”.) 22 black and white illustrations, by the late C. Ellen Young 1 color photo

    610-641), a contemporary of the Prophet Muhammad. His stormy war-torn reign is critical for understanding the background to fundamental changes in the Balkans and the Middle East, including the emergence of Islam. Heraclius' skills enabled him to capture and recapture important territory, including Jerusalem, Syria and Egypt. Yet, they proved to be of little value when he confronted early Islamic conquests.

    Each volume is a compilation of a variety of contemporary narratives and reminiscences from a wide range of perspectives. These personal anecdotes provide readers with a unique and valuable understanding of how people from different backgrounds confront and interpret their times.