France in the Central Middle Ages 900-1200

Marcus Bull is Senior Lecturer in the department of Historical Studies at the University of Bristol. He is the author of Knightly Piety and the Lay Response to the First Crusade (OUP, 1993) and The Miracles of Our Lady of Rocamadour: Analysis and Translation (Woodbridge, 1999).

• Introduction ; 1. Constructing Identities of Medieval France ; 2. Political Culture ; 3. Rural Economy and Society ; 4. The South ; 5. The Church ; 7. The French Overseas ; Conclusion ; Further Reading ; Chronology ; Maps

'One regrets that, in Paterson's case, not all work cited and sometimes contested can be identified, either in the book's grudging footnotes or in the lists for further reading. Perhaps this could be rectified at the time of reprinting. Such a small blemish does not spoil this enterprising collection, which suggests some interesting answers to the question with which this review began.'