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The Civilization of the Middle Ages: A Completely Revised and Expanded Edition of Medieval History (Paperback)
by Norman F. Cantor
| Category:
Middle Ages, History |
| Market price: ¥ 198.00
MSL price:
¥ 178.00
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| MSL Pointer Review:
This thoroughly modern treatise brings the latest thinking and information to the man-in-the-street which is the most widely read narrative of the Middle Ages in the English language. |
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Author: Norman F. Cantor
Publisher: Harper Perennial; Reprint edition (August 3, 1994)
Pub. in: August, 1994
ISBN: 0060925531
Pages: 624
Measurements: 8 x 5.3 x 1.4 inches
Origin of product: USA
Order code: BA00778
Other information: Reprint edition
ISBN-13: 978-0060925536
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- MSL Picks -
Booklists called this book the "standard one-volume history" of the period and said, "No better explanation of medievalism is available to the general reader." Cantor, Professor of History and Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at New York University, writes with wonderful fluidity; his lucid prose moves from topic to topic with effortless grace. Reader Frederick Davidson contributes a British enunciation to the text but adds little enthusiasm. Listen to this to learn something, not for the production.
Cantor's book covers the civilization of the Middle Ages from ca 300 CE to 1500 CE but most of it is spent in the period from ca 500 CE to 1450 CE. It does provide, however, a good chapter on each of the following:
(1) A very short summary of the classical Greek, Roman and Hebrew heritage
(2) A very short history of the early Christian church plus
(3) An overview of the Roman Catholic Church through Pope Gregory VII, and a short overview of the barbarian invasions that helped bring down the Roman Empire. He then used the remainder of 443 pages to describe what his view is of the process of building a civilization in Europe from the ashes of the Roman Empire and the largely illiterate population of Europe.
His practice is to look at several different periods of time from both the government building, the development of the Roman Catholic Church and human developments in literature, philosophy, the arts, etc. This leads to some repetition as the same people have an impact in more than one topic. This repetition was good as it reinforced you learning about some of the more important people and movements of the Middle Ages.
- From quoting a reader
Target readers:
History students or lovers.
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Norman F. Cantor is Emeritus Professor of History, Sociology, and Comparative Literature at New York University. His academic honors include appointments as a Rhodes Scholar, Porter Ogden Jacobus Fellow at Princeton University, and Fulbright Professor at Tel Aviv University. His previous books include Inventing the Middle Ages, nominated for a National Book Critics Circle Award, and The Civilization of the Middle Ages, the most widely read narrative of the Middle Ages in the English language. He lives in southern Florida.
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This is an excellent introduction to the Middle Ages and is thought provoking on many different levels. Although this is a history that looks at the Middle Ages as a whole, Cantor's method is to examine Germany, England, and France and to see how they were able to succeed and fail at different times during the period in question.
- From quoting M. A Newman
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| View all 8 comments |
Paul Vicary (MSL quote), USA
<2007-05-25 00:00>
Cantor combines deft argument with enjoyable readibility to make this book an excellent introduction to the Middle Ages. An great improvement over his previous "Miedieval History" (1963), he gives greater attention to the influence of the heritage of the ancient world on what Cantor calls "the preconditioning of the medieval civilization." While one could develop this even further than he does, that would require a much longer book.
Invaluable alone is the extensive bibliography for those new to the field of Medieval Studies. He separates a "short list" which would give one a crash course on medieval civilization from the "long list", providing a core bebliography in medieval studies.
But the most endearing qualities of the book are not only its readibility, making it a truly enjoyable read (in contrast to most studies of the medieval period - or history texts in general), but the way he deftly explains the major events and connects them in a way that leaves the reader with a comprehensive understanding of the period rather than a depository of facts and events.
Highly recommended for those with no background of the period and need a humane introduction to it. |
A reader (MSL quote), USA
<2007-05-25 00:00>
Professor Cantor provides the definitive short history of the Middle Ages. His analysis explains a civilization without crushing the reader with a myriad of esoteric facts. If you want to understand that not-so-distant age, this is the book to buy. |
A reader (MSL quote), USA
<2007-05-25 00:00>
This is one of the best books I have discovered on the middle ages that demonstrates a balance between detail and the overall historical picture. This book brings the pieces of the puzzle together without drowining the reader in facts - all the while keeping the reader interested. Get it! |
Bill (MSL quote), USA
<2007-05-25 00:00>
This is truly a fascinating book. I am very interested in the history of Christianity as well as its affect on Western civilization. This book was an excellent starting point. From the adoption of Christianity by the Roman Empire through the middle ages, this book gave a great review of how Europe developed. Since the church was so instrumental in this development, it is discussed in great detail of course.
I am not sure which parts of the book I liked best. The first few chapters were excellent, but I literally could not put the book down for the last two chapters. I really mean this. I was on a plane when my glasses broke. I was so into the book that I struggled to read the last 50 pages without my glasses, at times holding the book at arms length and squinting really really hard.
If you enjoy history, I would most heartily recommend this book. |
View all 8 comments |
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