Customer Reviews

Medieval World: Europe 1100-1350

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I disagree with the review above. I am not a historian, or even a European or medieval history buff. However, I found Heer's book to be engrossing, and a pleasure to read. I recommend it to anyone interested in the period. Heer was an Austrian historian who appears to have been strongly influenced by the destructiveness of WWI and WWII in Europe. He states his view that the "open" Europe of the Twelfth Century was preferable to the "closed" Europe which followed, which closing, inferentially, contributed to the catastrophic wars which came after. He is also the author of "The Intellectual History Of Europe", which may explain his facility at setting out the thinking of the various scholars and religious groups during the period covered. The life of the people of the time is fully covered from peasants to aristocracy, to philosophers, merchants, iconoclasts, popes, the madmen of the inquisition, and the courtly life at Aquitaine. The most interesting aspects to me were his coverage of the school at Chartres, the rise and influence of the University at Paris, the contrast between the period during which open debate of religious matters was tolerated, as compared to the effect of the shutting down of anything labeled heretical; the influence of Averroes and Avicenna (the Arab commentators on Aristotle), the women of the period who quietly resisted being bartered, such as Eleanor and those who followed her; the amount of long-distance travel undertaken, the refuge taken at the Mongol court by those fleeing religious trials in Europe; the scheming power struggles and interactions between the Church and the secular rulers; and the activities of Pope Innocent III, all of which appear to have brought about lasting disasters. It is a fascinating period, full of interesting people, from Siger of Brabant, Abelard, Thomas Aquinas and John of Salisbury; to Hildegard of Bingen and Innocent III (whose esteem in church histories is hard to credit); to the various competing secular rulers and those who would unseat them. The book is well-worth the read.

When and where the author has a passion and an authority of knowledge for the subject, the book shines and brings forth a depth of knowledge, and genuine caring and understanding of the situation at hand. His descriptions of the power of religious movements in europe coinciding with the black plague are brilliant, his expose on the splits within the catholic church also shine. However, there are many other areas which are either too broad or he is too disinterested in to do more than give a cursory and maybe even shabby overview. This is a textbook, and would not be reccommended for casual reading.