Medieval Europe: A Short History [Paperback]

Judith Bennett (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0073385506 | ISBN-13: 978-0073385501 | Publication Date: January 20, 2010 | Edition: 11

Medieval Europe introduces today's students to the medieval roots of our own society. In an accessible and engaging narrative, it tells how the peoples of medieval Europe built, understood, and changed their world. Never losing sight of the neighboring civilizations of Byzantium and Islam, it has its feet firmly planted in the medieval West, from whence it gives ample consideration to such subjects as women's lives, Jewish communities, ordinary people, and the experiences of Europeans in the often-neglected centuries of the Later Middle Ages.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Judith M. Bennett teaches medieval history and women's history at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where she is Martha Nell Hardy Distinguished Professor. Educated at Mount Holyoke College, the University of Toronto, and the Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies, she is the author of numerous books and articles about peasants, women, and families in the Middle Ages. Professor Bennett's research has been supported by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the American Council of Learned Societies, the National Humanities Center, the Folger Shakespeare Library, and numerous other agencies. She has held lectureships in Australia and England, as well as the United States. A Fellow of the Royal Historical Society in London, she has held offices in such professional organizations as the Medieval Academy of America, the North American Conference on British Studies, the Coordinating Council for Women in History, and the Berkshire Conference of Women Historians. Professor Bennett has received several awards for her scholarly books and articles, and she is also an acclaimed teacher at UNC-CH, where she has won a top teaching award and is now a fellow of the Academy of Distinguished Teaching Scholars.

Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages; 11 edition (January 20, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0073385506
• ISBN-13: 978-0073385501
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #17,626 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Solid, organized, comprehensive., August 10, 2003

By 

James V. Sylvester (Austin, TX) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Medieval Europe: A Short History (Paperback)

Out of my modest library of a dozen or so books on the period, "Medieval Europe, A Short History" is the one that I would recommend to use as a general introduction. I give it four stars because I believe that the highest ranking should be reserved for works of unparalleled insight and expression. That aside, this is a solid, professional, comprehensive, and accessible piece of work.

First published by Dr. Hollister in 1964, the book is now in its Ninth Edition (2002). For this reason, some of the criticisms in the reviews pre-dating the most recent edition are unfounded. (I have a Second Edition, and it is but a shadow of the current volume.)

The work of updating the text has been taken over by Dr. Bennett of the University of North Carolina. I believe that the long legacy of the book and its many revisions reflect what does and does not work in an introductory course to the Medieval period. Dr. Bennett's touch is apparent in the steady but fair commentary given to the role of women throughout the long period.

Above all, the book is compact and well-organized. While, at times, it may proceed like an outline, that aspect is driven by its scope: Western Europe from late antiquity to the Renaissance, with additional commentary (for context) on Byzantium & the rise of Islam. In fact, the amount of information contained within its 397 pages (paperback version) is impressive.

Given its purpose, one cannot expect much digression into painting portraits of the times. What one can expect is a clear and direct exposition of the salient events and major trends of the Medieval period from all angles (political, religious, intellectual, social, economic, artistic, cultural). On that score, it squarely delivers.

The signature element of the discussion are the brief asides and analogies to 20th Century American society and culture. They only show up every once in awhile -- not enough to be distracting and certainly witty enough to bring a smile.

From "A Short History," I'd suggest proceeding with Cantor's "Civilization of the Middle Ages" and to the essays in the "Oxford Illustrated History of Medieval Europe." After that, the door should be wide open to an investigation of whatever detailed aspect of the period a reader might want to pursue.

30 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best-written textbooks out there., August 16, 1999

By 

Center [e-mail] (Patchogue, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Medieval Europe: A Short History (Paperback)

It's rare to find a textbook animated by its author's love of the subject matter. And Hollister is a devoted paramour. I had the pleasure of using the seventh edition of this textbook in a medieval history class, and I still have it. Simply put, it's a far-ranging, thorough and fascinating look at the art, events, and culture of the Middle Ages. And as for the previous review's objections to the book: the reason Hollister dismisses the "Golden Age" of Rome as anything but a "Golden Age" are carfeully listed. Infanticide, widespread slavery and poverty (running up to 90 percent), and a closely-bonded upper class that enjoyed the fruits of classical culture without bothering to transmit its fruits to the remainder of the realm. Nor does Hollister object to the Renaissance: he points out that the knowledge and thought processes the Humanists claimed to have rediscovered after the "long sleep" of the Middle Ages were set in motion and used quite well during the High Middle Ages. Humanists were simply more self-consciously "awakened." HIs critique of Renaissance art (if you can even call it that) is a simple observation of how the priorities of artists were changing by the end of the late Middle Ages. This is masterful stuff. The book makes a very convincing argument that western culture was shaped more by the Middle Ages than anything following. And Hollister's playful sense of humor makes everything go down easy. You've got to love a book that can discuss the problems of urban life in London while adding this observation: "The violence of medieval London may be attributable in part to the existence (in 1309) of 354 taverns and more than 1300 ale shops -- a fact that provides added meaning to the term 'High Middle Ages.'" It's pithy asides like these that reveal the humor and humanity of Hollister's effort, and make you realize that this gentleman is in love with his work, knowledgable about it, determined to learn even more, and brave enough to crack jokes in the super-serious world of academia. A terrific introduction to the Middle Ages.

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Survey of Medieval Europe, March 9, 2000

By 

Mario Diana (Poughquag, NY USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Medieval Europe: A Short History (Paperback)

I, too, had the pleasure of using this book for an undergraduate class and believe the material to be superbly organized. There seems to be just the right amount of subject headings, and the prose is clear and enjoyable to read. Moreover, illustrations and charts are equally well-placed. Rather than "cramming" a thousand years of history between its covers, the author works his way through a vast amount of material, omitting the non-essential. It is an outstanding example of what it means to survey a subject.

Yes, the author has no great love for ancient Rome and perhaps believes there is too much fuss made of the Renaissance. I do not agree with either sentiment. But the author's opinions, rather than detracting from the book, are nothing but a small though refreshing infusion of personality in an area that is notoriously dry: namely, the college textbook.