Tag Archives: Medieval

Joan of Arc: the Legend and the Reality

Posted on March 16, 2010 by smellincoffee

Joan of Arc: the Legend and the Reality© 1959 Frances Gies306 pages Few historical characters, and no women, are more famous than Joan of Arc. Her name and story are known throughout the world. In the Middle Ages there were … Continue reading →

Posted in history, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Constantinople: the Forgotten Empire

Posted on September 19, 2009 by smellincoffee

Constantinople: the Forgotten Empire © Isaac Asimov 1970 289 pages The history of the eastern Roman empire, ruled from Constantinople, has long been a weak point in my own historical literacy. When I spotted a book on its history by … Continue reading →

Posted in history, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Aristotle’s Children

Posted on August 7, 2009 by smellincoffee

Aristotle’s Children: How Christians, Muslims, and Jews Rediscovered Ancient Wisdom and illuminated the Dark Ages © 2003 Richard Rubenstein 368 pages That title is a touch misleading. While Rubenstein will mention Christians, Muslims, and Jews rediscovering ancient wisdom, he only … Continue reading →

Posted in history, Reviews | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

The Great Warming

Posted on April 4, 2009 by smellincoffee

The Great Warming: Climate Change and the Rise and Fall of Civilizations© 2008 Brian Fagan282 pages Earlier this year, Dr. Brian M. Fagan visited my university to deliver a talk titled “Climate Change, the Flail of God, or the Elephant … Continue reading →

Posted in history, Reviews, science | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

How the Irish Saved Civilization

Posted on February 10, 2009 by smellincoffee

How the Irish Saved Civilization: the Untold Story of Ireland’s Heroic Role from the Fall of Rome to the Rise of Medieval Europe© 1995 Thomas Cahill230 pages plus bibliography, chronology, and index. Last week I began the “Hinges of History” … Continue reading →

Posted in history, Reviews | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Mysteries of the Middle Ages

Posted on February 6, 2009 by smellincoffee

Mysteries of the Middle Ages and the Beginnings of the Modern World© 2006 Thomas Cahill317 pages, plus notes and index A couple of weeks ago I met a friend for breakfast, and he brought with him an interesting-looking book. He … Continue reading →

Posted in history, Reviews | Tagged , , , , | 6 Comments

The Knight in History

Posted on December 10, 2008 by smellincoffee

The Knight in History254 pagesFrances Gies This week I read The Knight in History, written by France Gies. Typically she and her husband co-author novels, but not in this case. I was somewhat wary about this particular book because military … Continue reading →

Posted in history, Reviews | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Women in the Middle Ages

Posted on December 2, 2008 by smellincoffee

Women in the Middle Ages© Frances and Joseph Gies 1978236 pages, plus index, notes, and bibliography. Again this week I read from Frances and Joseph Gies’ series on daily life in the medieval era. The book is divided smartly into … Continue reading →

Posted in history, Reviews | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Life in a Medieval Village

Posted on November 24, 2008 by smellincoffee

Life in a Medieval Village© 1990 Frances and Joseph Gies207 pages, plus index, notes, and a bibliography This week I continued reading from the Gies’ excellent series on daily life in the medieval era. This book, like Life in a … Continue reading →

Posted in history, Reviews | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Marriage and the Family in the Middle Ages

Posted on November 4, 2008 by smellincoffee

Marriage and the Family in the Middle AgesJoseph and Frances Gies, © 1987Harper & Row, New York369 pages. This week I continued reading Gies, this time one of their books concerning changes in the family during the middle ages — … Continue reading →

Posted in history, Reviews | Tagged , , | 1 Comment