Ralph Griffiths is Professor of Medieval History at the University of Wales, Swansea. His publications include the best selling Oxford Illustrated History of the British Monarchy (OUP 1988) and, with John Gillingham, Medieval Britain: A Very Short Introduction (OUP 2000).

• List of plates ; List of maps and figures ; Map and table section ; Coinages and exchange rates ; List of contributors ; Introduction ; 1. The quality of life ; 2. Ranks of society ; 3. The Church ; 4. Forms of cultural expression ; 5. Kingdoms and dominions at peace and war ; 6. Kingship and government ; Epilogue ; Further Reading ; Chronology ; Glossary ; Map and table section ; Index

Professor Griffiths's contributors, an exceptionally able and well-matched team, offer excellent summations of developments over a number of areas - the church, social structures, standards of living, cultural expression, war and politics.