Middle Ages Books

Enhanced with the breathtakingly beautiful color photography of Franco Mammana and expertly compiled, edited and oreganized by Ivana della Portella, The Appian Way: From Its Foundation To The Middle Ages is a photographic and historical showcase of the first major artery to connect Rome to southern Italy, which became a model for all roads originating within the ancient capital. A historical survey of the road from its construction in 312 B.C. to its use centuries laterby Christian pilgrims en route to Jerusalem and much more enhances the scenic images from the road itself as well as artistic illustrations expressing edifices from ancient times along this historic road. A treasure for history buffs and a joy for armchair travelers.

Prior to my class with Dr. Reinhard Huetter (a formidable theologian in his own right), I had only encountered Thomas Aquinas in out of context snippets. That's not to say that I had negative perceptions of Thomas, only slightly off base. Velde's text was a secondary source to the main text, Thomas Aquinas' "The Treatise of the Divine Nature" from his "Summa Theologiae"(see below).

Velde briefly familiarizes the reader with major alternative interpretations of Aquinas without amassing a detail overload. He then proceeds to clearly demonstrate his own reading of Aquinas. Velde emphasizes the long history of ripping pieces of Aquinas' work out of its theological context to make it do strictly philosophical work. Velde reasserts the theological context of ALL the arguments in the Summa, especially Aquinas' "treatise" on God.

This book is dense and not for the faint of heart! I would suggest some prior engagement with Aristotle's "Metaphysics," if only briefly. You might also want to look at Torrell's brief introduction to Aquinas (see below).

This text is definitely a must for anyone who wishes to engage Aquinas beyond surface level; thus, any who wish to do theology should read this since a good theologian will familiarize herself with Thomas Aquinas!

Aquinas's Summa: Background, Structure, & Reception
The Theology Of Thomas Aquinas
The Treatise On The Divine Nature: Summa Theologiae I 1-13 (The Hackett Aquinas)

This scholarly study by Elie Podeh of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem analyses Israeli history textbooks’ presentations of the Arab-Israeli conflict and their depiction of Arab people. He contends that, “biased Israeli and Arab textbooks have fostered and maintained a kind of silent conflict between the parties. ... my hope is that better textbooks - free of bias, prejudice, inaccuracies, and omissions - on both sides of the conflict will result in a better atmosphere, congenial to the successful consummation of peaceful relations between Israel and its Arab neighbors.”

His Chapter 1 presents a rationale for studying school textbooks. Chapter 2 investigates the changing attitudes in Israel’s education system towards teaching the Arab-Israeli conflict. Chapter 3 presents case studies of textbook coverage of various subjects and historical periods: Islam, the Ottoman Empire, the first and second Aliyah periods (1882-1902 and 1902-14), the First World War agreements, the British mandate in Palestine (1920-48), the 1947-48 war, the 1956 war, the 1967 war, the post-1967 period and the Arab minority in Israel. He notes that even text books published in 1999 printed maps of late 19th-century Palestine that omitted all the many towns inhabited by Arabs!

The book charts Israeli educationalists’ growing awareness that Zionist ideology distorts the history of Israel and of its relations with its neighbours. The 1967 war, Israel’s war against Lebanon in 1982, the Palestinian Intifada of 1988 and the peace process of the 1990s, all forced many Israelis to view the Arab-Israeli conflict more even-handedly and improved the quality of the textbooks. The newer textbooks present more self-critical accounts, instead of projecting all evil onto Arab people, and allow that self-criticism is a source of strength not a sign of weakness.

Similar studies in other countries have shown that textbooks of Empire demonise and distort colonised nations and their liberation movements, that US textbooks demonise communism, and that Irish textbooks demonise the other guy’s religion.

Hopefully, this fine book will achieve the author’s aim of assisting the development of peaceful relations between Israel and its neighbours.

Menocal's now classic (and still controversial) book is well worth the trouble of finding a copy (I waited 6 weeks for mine). She uncovers a hidden thread of influence on Dante, Boccaccio, and Petrarch (and thus our Western Heritage) that most scholars would have preferred lay forgotten.

Yes, Virginia, there really wasn't a "Renaissance." Instead, European authors tapped into the great watershed of Islamic culture and borrowed the best of it, recasting it for a Christian audience.

Michael Kucher
University of Washington, Tacoma

Oakeshott presents, in very readable form, not only a wealth of information concerning European arms and armor through the ages, but excellent historical overveiws of the periods discussed which include the best 'nutshell' history of the Migration Era and Viking era that it has ever been my pleasure to read. Any serious student of arms and armor must read this book. The author's style of writing is unusually engaging and informative, and much more readable than the normal run of dry English historical books. He has the ability to bring history alive in your heart, as it so obviously is alive for him.

I read this book for a graduate course in medieval history.
Michael Prestwich is a great historian of the Middle Ages. "Armies and Warfare in the Middle Ages: The English Experience" is a great comprehensive work for warfare of the period. It is especially useful for battle descriptions of English wars against the Scottish, and for the Hundred Years War. Prestwich writes that the lesson of the Battle of Falkirk in 1298, was clear for any competent military commander to follow; cavalry alone could not defeat the Scottish squares, but archers supported by cavalry could easily break them. These tactics would be successfully repeated by Edward III against the Scots at Hallidon Hill in 1333, and Neville's Cross in 1346, not to mention in his invasion of France

Edward I's most important contribution to advancing the war fighting capability of Britain was in the battlefield tactics that he employed. It cannot be stressed enough that his use of mixed cavalry and archery was a monumental leap in battlefield tactics, as well as the precursor in making the longbow a force multiplier during the Hundred Years' War. The military record of Edward II, who reigned from 1307-1327, was abysmal. Prestwich spoke on behalf of all historians who wrote about Edward II's lack of military prowess, and was justifiably unflattering in his critique of Edward II's military acumen. Most of what Edward I won on the battlefields in Scotland, Edward II ineptly lost.

Edward III's strategic and tactical abilities were on full display during the Hundred Years' War. One of the most important tactical innovations that Edward III instituted to increase the fighting capability of the English army before the start of the Hundred Years' War was the introduction of mounted archers to its ranks. Prestwich took notice of the importance of Edward III's tactical innovation. Mounted archers rode ponies for quick transport to the battlefield, and then they would dismount to shoot their longbows in battle. Undoubtedly, Edward III learned from the previous one hundred years of his predecessors' fighting the Scottish, that too many times the Scots outmaneuvered the English; thus, they escaped from having to fight a battle advantageous to the English. Edward III was going to do all he could to make sure that this did not happen to his army. Oman's research shows muster records from 1334 listing mounted archers for the first time as part of Edward III's expedition into Scotland. This was Edward III's second largest campaign against an enemy during his reign. The expedition served as an excellent opportunity for Edward III and his army to prove their new tactics, which they would put to good use a dozen years later in France.

The requirement on localities to provide longbow men with weapons was very demanding. Edward III made great strides to take on the fiscal responsibility of equipping his army. This actually provided him with two advantages--that of quality control of weaponry, and reducing manufacturing cost through economy of scale. One example of how enormous a task it was to prepare for war comes from the armory records at the Tower of London. In 1359, the clerk of the armory is ordered to put bowyers (longbow makers), and fletchers (arrow makers), to work for the king, under penalty of imprisonment if necessary, if they were non-cooperative. Between 1353 and 1360, the armory added to its stores, 15,300 bows, 4,000 bow staves, and 24,000 sheaves of arrows. Each sheave contained twenty-four arrows; thus, this order equates to 576,000 arrows in all. In March 1345, 15 Sheriffs were issued orders to supply the Tower armory with, "3,000 bows, 8,400 sheaves of arrows and 20,000 bowstrings." By looking at supply records leading up to the battle of Crecy, Prestwich was able to surmise several important factors about the supply of arrows. Each longbow man had an allotment of 60 arrows for the battle. The average arrow weighs 4 oz., so to supply 7,500 longbow men it took nearly a half-million arrows weighing 55 tons. This supply was easily transportable in some 60 one-ton carts from the port to the army. These figures can cast little doubt on the fact that the king was constantly writing back to England throughout his campaign in France ordering more supply of arrows and bowstrings. These facts about arrow supply gives one a good picture of just one facet of the monumental logistical, organizational, and planning skills necessary to support Edward III's invasion force of about 15,000 men crossing in ships numbering some 700 to 1,000.

The longbow reigned supreme on the battlefield until the mid-sixteenth century. By this time, other technologies such as better-tempered armor, cannon, and musketry, overtook the effectiveness of the longbow. Prestwich points to the dawn of the sixteenth century as the one in which gunpowder would change warfare in Europe. This time, the easy use of gunpowder would cause all warring nations to adopt it to their use. Cannons would now make it easier to break up impenetrable longbow defensive positions. In addition, cannons were ideal for siege warfare against fortified positions.

Recommended reading for those interested in medieval history, and military history.

I read this book for a graduate course in medieval history.
Michael Prestwich is a great historian of the Middle Ages. "Armies and Warfare in the Middle Ages: The English Experience" is a great comprehensive work for warfare of the period. It is especially useful for battle descriptions of English wars against the Scottish, and for the Hundred Years War. Prestwich writes that the lesson of the Battle of Falkirk in 1298, was clear for any competent military commander to follow; cavalry alone could not defeat the Scottish squares, but archers supported by cavalry could easily break them. These tactics would be successfully repeated by Edward III against the Scots at Hallidon Hill in 1333, and Neville's Cross in 1346, not to mention in his invasion of France

Edward I's most important contribution to advancing the war fighting capability of Britain was in the battlefield tactics that he employed. It cannot be stressed enough that his use of mixed cavalry and archery was a monumental leap in battlefield tactics, as well as the precursor in making the longbow a force multiplier during the Hundred Years' War. The military record of Edward II, who reigned from 1307-1327, was abysmal. Prestwich spoke on behalf of all historians who wrote about Edward II's lack of military prowess, and was justifiably unflattering in his critique of Edward II's military acumen. Most of what Edward I won on the battlefields in Scotland, Edward II ineptly lost.

Edward III's strategic and tactical abilities were on full display during the Hundred Years' War. One of the most important tactical innovations that Edward III instituted to increase the fighting capability of the English army before the start of the Hundred Years' War was the introduction of mounted archers to its ranks. Prestwich took notice of the importance of Edward III's tactical innovation. Mounted archers rode ponies for quick transport to the battlefield, and then they would dismount to shoot their longbows in battle. Undoubtedly, Edward III learned from the previous one hundred years of his predecessors' fighting the Scottish, that too many times the Scots outmaneuvered the English; thus, they escaped from having to fight a battle advantageous to the English. Edward III was going to do all he could to make sure that this did not happen to his army. Oman's research shows muster records from 1334 listing mounted archers for the first time as part of Edward III's expedition into Scotland. This was Edward III's second largest campaign against an enemy during his reign. The expedition served as an excellent opportunity for Edward III and his army to prove their new tactics, which they would put to good use a dozen years later in France.

The requirement on localities to provide longbow men with weapons was very demanding. Edward III made great strides to take on the fiscal responsibility of equipping his army. This actually provided him with two advantages--that of quality control of weaponry, and reducing manufacturing cost through economy of scale. One example of how enormous a task it was to prepare for war comes from the armory records at the Tower of London. In 1359, the clerk of the armory is ordered to put bowyers (longbow makers), and fletchers (arrow makers), to work for the king, under penalty of imprisonment if necessary, if they were non-cooperative. Between 1353 and 1360, the armory added to its stores, 15,300 bows, 4,000 bow staves, and 24,000 sheaves of arrows. Each sheave contained twenty-four arrows; thus, this order equates to 576,000 arrows in all. In March 1345, 15 Sheriffs were issued orders to supply the Tower armory with, "3,000 bows, 8,400 sheaves of arrows and 20,000 bowstrings." By looking at supply records leading up to the battle of Crecy, Prestwich was able to surmise several important factors about the supply of arrows. Each longbow man had an allotment of 60 arrows for the battle. The average arrow weighs 4 oz., so to supply 7,500 longbow men it took nearly a half-million arrows weighing 55 tons. This supply was easily transportable in some 60 one-ton carts from the port to the army. These figures can cast little doubt on the fact that the king was constantly writing back to England throughout his campaign in France ordering more supply of arrows and bowstrings. These facts about arrow supply gives one a good picture of just one facet of the monumental logistical, organizational, and planning skills necessary to support Edward III's invasion force of about 15,000 men crossing in ships numbering some 700 to 1,000.

The longbow reigned supreme on the battlefield until the mid-sixteenth century. By this time, other technologies such as better-tempered armor, cannon, and musketry, overtook the effectiveness of the longbow. Prestwich points to the dawn of the sixteenth century as the one in which gunpowder would change warfare in Europe. This time, the easy use of gunpowder would cause all warring nations to adopt it to their use. Cannons would now make it easier to break up impenetrable longbow defensive positions. In addition, cannons were ideal for siege warfare against fortified positions.

Recommended reading for those interested in medieval history, and military history.

This book is an excellent introduction to Medieval art, covering temple architecture, sculpture, stained glass, reliquaries, illuminated manuscripts, icons and early paintings, tapestries, armor, castles, houses. The only things I can imagine that she might have included are coins and jewelry, but even omitting them this is an unusually complete coverage.

Under each heading, she examines 3-4 good examples of the subject, and in many cases she concludes by listing all/many other notable examples. Of course she can't go into detail on every Gothic church in France, but she goes over the most famous ones, and then provides a good, long list of others.

I happily recommend this to anyone travelling in France, as I was when I read it, because you'll have the opportunity to see many examples of Medieval art. I can also recommend this to students because the author rarely indulges in excessive verbiage, she writes fairly simply and straightforwardly.

Along with this, if you're interested in the Middle Ages, let me recommend two books: Medieval Foundations of the Western Intellectual Tradition (Yale Intellectual History of the West Se) and The Age of Reform, 1250-1550: An Intellectual and Religious History of Late Medieval and Reformation Europe.

I read this book for a graduate course in medieval history.
Charles Oman's great book "The Art of War in the Middle Ages" is a great introductory work for warfare of the period. It is especially useful for battle descriptions of English wars against the Scottish, and for the Hundred Years War. Oman writes that the lesson of the Battle of Falkirk in 1298, was clear for any competent military commander to follow; cavalry alone could not defeat the Scottish squares, but archers supported by cavalry could easily break them. These tactics would be successfully repeated by Edward III against the Scots at Hallidon Hill in 1333, and Neville's Cross in 1346, not to mention in his invasion of France

Edward I's most important contribution to advancing the war fighting capability of Britain was in the battlefield tactics that he employed. It cannot be stressed enough that his use of mixed cavalry and archery was a monumental leap in battlefield tactics, as well as the precursor in making the longbow a force multiplier during the Hundred Years' War. The military record of Edward II, who reigned from 1307-1327, was abysmal. Charles Oman spoke on behalf of all historians who wrote about Edward II's lack of military prowess, and was justifiably unflattering in his critique of Edward II's military acumen. Most of what Edward I won on the battlefields in Scotland, Edward II ineptly lost.

Edward III's strategic and tactical abilities were on full display during the Hundred Years' War. One of the most important tactical innovations that Edward III instituted to increase the fighting capability of the English army before the start of the Hundred Years' War was the introduction of mounted archers to its ranks. Oman took notice of the importance of Edward III's tactical innovation. Mounted archers rode ponies for quick transport to the battlefield, and then they would dismount to shoot their longbows in battle. Undoubtedly, Edward III learned from the previous one hundred years of his predecessors' fighting the Scottish, that too many times the Scots outmaneuvered the English; thus, they escaped from having to fight a battle advantageous to the English. Edward III was going to do all he could to make sure that this did not happen to his army. Oman's research shows muster records from 1334 listing mounted archers for the first time as part of Edward III's expedition into Scotland. This was Edward III's second largest campaign against an enemy during his reign. The expedition served as an excellent opportunity for Edward III and his army to prove their new tactics, which they would put to good use a dozen years later in France.

Recommended reading for those interested in medieval history, and military history.

The great Arthurian scholar Roger Sherman Loomis is the editor of this splendid 563 page collaborative history that brings together 30 scholars in a vast survey of the entire range of the literature. It goes well beyond the scope of previous studies, particularly in its detailed elucidation and in-depth analysis of the Welsh texts, a wide-ranging, carefully considered explication of the origins of the Grail legends and some no-holds barred discussion of controversial issues involved in Arthurian research. Loomis provides a brilliant Prologue and Epilogue as well as several of the 41 essays that are included in the book, including essays on the oral Arthurian legends, Layamon's Brut, the origins of the Grail legend, the Latin Romances and Arthurian influence on sports and spectacle. Some other discussions include the Breton Lais, the early Tristan poems, Chretien de Troyes, Wolfram's Parzival, the French and Germanic legends, Celtic, Scandinavian and Iberian legends and the Dutch Romances. All leading up to the Middle-Ages and England's Arthur as written by Malory. There is no finer, more inclusive study of the Arthurian legends than this brilliant compilation. Seemingly always out-of-print (for reasons that elude me), copies of this book are usually readily available via the second hand route. Strongly recommended.

Mike Birman