The History of Medieval Europe by Lynn Thorndike (PDF)

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Ebook Info

  • Published: 2012
  • Number of pages: 738 pages
  • Format: PDF
  • File Size: 17.43 MB
  • Authors: Lynn Thorndike

Description

This book aims to trace the development of Europe and its civilization, from the decline of the Roman Empire to the opening of the sixteenth century. The general plan of the volume is to treat medieval Europe as a whole and to hang the story upon a single thread, rather than to recount as distinct narratives the respective histories of France, England, Germany, Italy, and other countries of modern Europe. French or English history may be studied as such in courses and books so labeled. Moreover, the modern interest in the national state has usually been carried too far in the study of the Middle Ages. Local division, not national unity and central government, is surely the striking feature through most of the medieval centuries.Contents: The Roman Empire. The Barbarian World Outside the Empire. The Decline of the Roman Empire. The Barbarian Invasions: 378-511 A.D. “The City of God”. German Kingdoms in the West. Justinian and the Byzantine Empire. Gregory the Great and Western Christendom. The Rise and Spread of Mohammedanism. The Frankish State and Charlemagne. The Northmen and Other New Invaders. The Feudal Land System and Feudal Society. Feudal States of Europe. The Growth of the Medieval Church. The Expansion of Christendom and the Crusades. The Rise of Towns and Gilds. The Italian Cities. French, Flemish, English, and German Towns. The Medieval Revival of Learning. Medieval Literature. The Medieval Cathedrals. The Church under Innocent III. Innocent III and the States of Europe. The Growth of National Institutions in England. The Growth of Royal Power in France. The Hundred Years War. Germany in the Later Middle Ages. Eastern Europe in the Later Middle Ages. The Papacy and Its Opponents in the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Centuries. The Italian Renaissance: Politics and Humanism. The Italian Renaissance: Fine Arts and Voyages of Discovery. The Rise of Absolutism and of the Middle Class.

User’s Reviews

Reviews from Amazon users which were colected at the time this book was published on the website:

⭐I am a history buff, and I bought this book after reading others’ reviews. I was not disappointed.This book is quite long, but the author provides a very detailed overview of the entire Middle Ages in Europe, from the fall of the Roman Empire until the early sixteenth century. The author does use language that was common in his day, as when he refers to Muslims and Islam as “Mohammedans” and “Mohammedism,” but if you overlook these occasional terms, the book is well worth reading. This book helped me to gain a more coherent understanding of the Middle Ages; for example, I have a better handle on who the different kings and popes were. The one drawback of this book is that the subject is so broad, covering over 1000 years of history, that some topics do not get as much space as they might merit, but in a book of this scope, that probably cannot be helped. If you want to get a well-written and insightful overview of the Middle Ages, this book is well worth the time and effort to read!

⭐I am giving four stars only on the basis if the effort that must have taken to put this much information together. The book is too long at 738 pages and covers much more time than my conception of the middle age era. It starts with the Ancient Greek time, about 500 B.C., prior to the Roman Empire era and covers the history of monarchs and regions and wars until the beginning of the sixteenth century. It was hard, tiresome and boring reading. Geographic regions are frequently included but many of their actual locations are not familiar to me. A few maps would have been helpful. In my opinion, the book would only be useful for a college student or professor of history, not the casual reader like myself.

⭐A very old book but a great overview of this time period. It sticks to the facts and does a good job of tying all of the Western European countries together in a cohesive way. Despite its age, it does not appear outdated in any way. I actually find older books are superior when the subject does not need additional refinement and I think that is the case here. Contemporary writers can muddy standard subjects by trying to present them in a novel way, presumably feeling the need to differentiate their work. If you’re looking for a broad overview of Medieval Europe but with significant depth, I think you’ll find it here.

⭐2 stars primarily for a poor editionThe text itself is pretty good, as an intro to medieval history. I haven’t read a whole lot of history myself, but now I feel I have a decent framework for further, more in-depth reading about the period.I would recommend this book, but I would urge: do not buy this paperback edition. It comes with no maps (very inconvenient), nor any of the chapter-ending notes/references (which I didn’t mind missing). It is also rife with typos, which one can usually read around, but on occasion they actually cause some real confusion. You can get the book free or almost free in electronic format, but if you (like me) prefer to have a physical copy to read out of, look for a different edition.

⭐I find the book difficult to read. It speaks of geography and persons abruptly with no explanation or context whatsoever, like I should already know who and where these names were. If I already knew, I would not need the book. As a result, the book is not informative without constantly breaking away to search the web for information that, in my opinion, should be part of the narrative. I bought the book to learn those things, not be told to ‘go fish’.

⭐A superb handling of a great swathe of human history, showcasing not only the vanity and futility of the great actors of their times, but the insidious all encompassing lust for power of the so called religious arm of governance that rolled over the commoners and serfs from west to east. The good and great of their times, were never much good, and great only in terms of their venal lust for power and control

⭐Middle Ages spanned over a thousand years and it is really impossible to provide a detailed account of what happened everywhere during this time, but this book does a wonderful job in giving a bird’s eye view of the epoch.

⭐A self-serving account of history feeding both English and German imperialism that came out just as both were engaged in mutual destruction.

⭐Had to stop reading. Clearly racist. Goes on and on about how it’s not worth studying any history other than European since savages had little to no progress and how tropical weather leads to a lack of morals and intellectual capacity

⭐I read 12%. The bias of the author is very clear. She uses racist language. Her assumptions are out of date, and her history is shallow and poorly written. I got so angry that l had to stop reading. Do not waste your money on this. In order to be more detailed, l would have to read more of the book, which l cannot bring myself to do.

⭐Nao mostra a completa realidade da IM no poder eclesiastico secular da epoca NEGRA DA HUMANIDADEEasy to read. Full of details and clear explanations

⭐歴史的大著『魔術と実験科学の歴史』全八巻(=レヴュアー全巻レヴュー済み)の著者リン・ソーンダイク(1882-1965)が左記図書刊行の6年前にリリースなさった『中世ヨーロッパ史』(1917年刊)の復刻版(Palala Press, 2018)。レヴュアーは西洋史研究の2020年現在での進捗ぶりにつき詳らかでないので、本書を西洋史研究図書として推薦はしません。上記大部をお読みになり、西洋史ならびにソーンダイクの思想をより知りたいという方々に本書をお薦めいたします。第1章「歴史研究」は著者の歴史研究に取り組む姿勢-歴史とはなにか、一次資料にあたること、そのために古代言語を学ぶこと、批評精神を働かせること…-が伺える記述。 歴史は単に興味をもって読まれる著述の一分野ではなく、注意深さをもって研究される社会科学である(8頁)。第2章「ローマ帝国」に始まる本編は政治、宗教、帝国を脅かす周辺の異民族、ビザンティン帝国、七世紀イスラム、封建制、中世の教会、十字軍、町とギルドの成長、中世文学、カテドラルなど建築、百年戦争、イタリア・ルネサンスなど。全33章。上掲大著第一・二巻にあったのと同様の小段落記載があるのも、本書を読み進めるうえでのよりよき援けとなっているといえるでしょう。たとえば第6章「『神の国』」であれば「『神の国』の場合」→「著者聖アウグスティヌス」→「この本にまつわる議論」→…といった具合。第20章「中世での学びの復興」は上記大著を著した著者の本領が遺憾なく発揮された章。当時の大学生の日常や年に休日は何日あったかなど、政治・宗教・文化をもわきまえたうえでの著者の記述は史実を拠り所とする手触りが感じられます。

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