History of the Middle Ages, 300–1500

John M. Riddle is Alumni Distinguished Professor of History emeritus at North Carolina State University.Winston Black is assistant professor of history at Assumption College.

• List of IllustrationsPrefaceAcknowledgmentsIntroductionPart I: Slow Transition from Classical to Medieval WorldChapter 1: The Transformation of Classical Civilization: The Political and Economic Story through the Fifth Century ceChapter 2: The Transformation of Classical Civilization: Religion and Culture through the Fifth Century ceChapter 3: Warriors, Farmers, and Saints in the Barbarian Kingdoms (200–600)Chapter 4: Byzantine Empire: A Struggle for Unity and Regaining Past Glory (451–630)Chapter 5:Islam: The Religion, Politics, and Culture (570–1000)Part II: Central Middle AgesChapter 6: Chapter 7: The Age of Charlemagne (750–814)Chapter 8: Europe: Disunited, Assaulted, and Saved (814–1024)Chapter 9: New Devotion, Growth of Towns, and Commerce (950–1100)Part III: High Middle AgesChapter 10: The Era of the First Crusade (1071–1097)Chapter 11: The Renaissance of the Twelfth CenturyChapter 12: The Flowering of the Middle Ages (ca. 1150–1300)Part IV: The Transition from the Medieval to Modern PeriodsChapter 13: Falcons, Swords, Occam’s Razor, and Germs: From Bouvines to the Black Death (1214–1347)Chapter 14: Conformity, Creativity, and Authority (1350–1500)Chapter 15: The Medieval Twilight in Europe and Western Asia: Decay and DiscoveryEpilogueChronology 1: Roman Empire to 500Chronology 2: 500 to 1500IndexAbout the Author

In this updated edition of his magisterial survey of the Middle Ages, John Riddle does the near impossible: improves upon the already excellent first edition. Still comprehensive in scope, the second edition also adeptly balances depth and breadth in the coverage of an important era in history, adding discussion of topics too often ignored in other survey texts, such as eastern Europe and the Islamic states. The addition of full color maps and figures in the second edition adds a vivid visual element to the work, while the incorporation of new interpretations drawn from recent scholarship creates a revised narrative that is insightful.