"An epic reappraisal of the medieval world--and the rich and complicated legacy left to us by the rise of the West--from the New York Times bestselling author of The Templars. When the once-mighty city of Rome was sacked by barbarians in 410 and lay in ruins, it signaled the end of an era--and the beginning of a thousand years of profound transformation. In a gripping narrative bursting with big names--from St Augustine and Attila the Hun to the Prophet...

"With wit, wisdom, and a sharp scalpel, Jack Hartnell dissects the medieval body and offers a remedy to our preconceptions. Medieval beliefs about the body were drastically different from ours today: Hair was thought to be a condensation of fumes emitted from the pores, ideas were supposedly committed to memory by being directly imprinted on the brain, and the womb of a goat was believed to function as a contraceptive. But while this medieval medicine...

"The beauty and levity that Perry and Gabriele have captured in this book are what I think will help it to become a standard text for general audiences for years to come....The Bright Ages is a rare thing—a nuanced historical work that almost anyone can enjoy reading."—Slate

"Incandescent and ultimately intoxicating." —The Boston Globe

A lively and magisterial popular history

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This book contains a series of sketches that aim to illustrate various aspects of social life in the Middle Ages. This volume is highly recommended for those with an interest in European history. Contents include: "The Precursors", "Bodo, A Frankish Peasant In The Time Of Charlemagne", "Marco Polo, A Venetian Traveller Of The Thirteenth Century", "Madame Eglentyne, Chaucer's Prioress In Real Life", "The Ménagier's Wife, A Paris Housewife In The Fourteenth...

Recreates the life of the rich and poor family, the housewife, businessman, doctor, scholar, clergy, artist, and writer of the Middle Ages, with insights into many customs and traditions of the period.