What do you think?
Rate this book
Western Europe in the Middle Ages: 300-1475
This chronological presentation of Western Europe in the Middle Ages provides the political, religious, intellectual, and economic history of the time. The revision of this classic, definitive text includes the latest historiography and more coverage of medieval society and women. Famous for its compelling narrative, the blend of chronology and historical interpretation, anecdotal info which brings the medieval world to life, and the accompanying readers (SOURCES and READINGS).
648 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1973
11 people are currently reading
345 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
September 8, 2020
This is a very informative, well-written guide to over a millennium of European history, from the fall of the Roman Empire to the beginnings of the early modern era. Sidney Painter and Brian Tierney deftly explore this period in both its cohesiveness and particularity (a multiplicity of societies and competing institutions forming a distinct discernible civilization), taking politics, religion, theology, cultural expression, economics, and social beliefs into account, and incorporating how all of these differed across time and place.
Unsurprisingly, the prose of the book doesn't jump off the page, though it is very readable for a textbook. The authors avoid injecting biases into their account (and explicitly state that anachronistic readings of history are to be avoided), though they do offer parenthetical statements and points of judgment which help the reader determine the short- and long-term consequences of particular episodes.
Reading this book in the glow of the great cultural conflagration of 2020 offers some interesting opportunities for reflection. Recounting the great variety of adversities the Europeans of the 15th century faced, the authors write:
"In the last century of the medieval era, the peoples of Europe had to cope with an unprecedented combination of plague, war, schism, and economic decline, all occurring simultaneously and all interacting with another. In the face of these disasters, medieval men did not lose their nerve. They did not succumb to a 'death wish.' Instead, they kept working at their problems, solved them as best they could, and in doing so, brought into existence the institutions of the early modern world. Thus the 'time of troubles' of the late Middle Ages did not lead to a disintegration of Western civilization but to a new era of expansion and achievement. Unlike the population of ancient Rome, the peoples of medieval Europe conducted themselves with enough sense and courage to avert the threat of a new Dark Age. That was the greatest achievement of medieval civilization."
The knowledge that our ancestors faced circumstances not entirely dissimilar from our own, and preserved and created a great culture from them, is somewhat heartening - but only somewhat, because our modern problems emanate largely from our rejection of the principles and our squandering of the attainments they labored to discover and achieve. Whether we'll follow the path of Rome or Europe will be one of the prime questions answered in the next chapter of history.
At any rate, the story that Painter and Tierney weave is one not of linear progress towards a certain result, but of a civilization developing in fits and starts as its members responded to specific circumstances, imperfectly, at specific times. This, then, is no mere romantic reading of Western history, but one that illuminates the path towards the West's ultimate accomplishments, of which the authors are appropriately appreciative.
Unsurprisingly, the prose of the book doesn't jump off the page, though it is very readable for a textbook. The authors avoid injecting biases into their account (and explicitly state that anachronistic readings of history are to be avoided), though they do offer parenthetical statements and points of judgment which help the reader determine the short- and long-term consequences of particular episodes.
Reading this book in the glow of the great cultural conflagration of 2020 offers some interesting opportunities for reflection. Recounting the great variety of adversities the Europeans of the 15th century faced, the authors write:
"In the last century of the medieval era, the peoples of Europe had to cope with an unprecedented combination of plague, war, schism, and economic decline, all occurring simultaneously and all interacting with another. In the face of these disasters, medieval men did not lose their nerve. They did not succumb to a 'death wish.' Instead, they kept working at their problems, solved them as best they could, and in doing so, brought into existence the institutions of the early modern world. Thus the 'time of troubles' of the late Middle Ages did not lead to a disintegration of Western civilization but to a new era of expansion and achievement. Unlike the population of ancient Rome, the peoples of medieval Europe conducted themselves with enough sense and courage to avert the threat of a new Dark Age. That was the greatest achievement of medieval civilization."
The knowledge that our ancestors faced circumstances not entirely dissimilar from our own, and preserved and created a great culture from them, is somewhat heartening - but only somewhat, because our modern problems emanate largely from our rejection of the principles and our squandering of the attainments they labored to discover and achieve. Whether we'll follow the path of Rome or Europe will be one of the prime questions answered in the next chapter of history.
At any rate, the story that Painter and Tierney weave is one not of linear progress towards a certain result, but of a civilization developing in fits and starts as its members responded to specific circumstances, imperfectly, at specific times. This, then, is no mere romantic reading of Western history, but one that illuminates the path towards the West's ultimate accomplishments, of which the authors are appropriately appreciative.
May 23, 2017
(Fourth Edition, copywrite 1983)
by Brian Tierney and Sidney Painter
This is the most boring book I ever tried to read. I have plodded through it for almost a year because I wanted to learn the subject matter, but with a ho-hum presentation of the Magna Carta story at about the two-thirds point, I give up. It is a college textbook, and I feel deep sympathy for the students who are required to not only pay real money for this doorstop, but also be expected to learn from it. I would have liked very much to refer to the authors' sources for much of their writing, but, alas, to do that one must also buy "a two-volume paperback collection of medieval sources and modern readings . . . prepared to accompany this book." Stick it to the students.
by Brian Tierney and Sidney Painter
This is the most boring book I ever tried to read. I have plodded through it for almost a year because I wanted to learn the subject matter, but with a ho-hum presentation of the Magna Carta story at about the two-thirds point, I give up. It is a college textbook, and I feel deep sympathy for the students who are required to not only pay real money for this doorstop, but also be expected to learn from it. I would have liked very much to refer to the authors' sources for much of their writing, but, alas, to do that one must also buy "a two-volume paperback collection of medieval sources and modern readings . . . prepared to accompany this book." Stick it to the students.
November 6, 2020
Extremely well written and engaging, a lot of notes and entertaining asides that I will remember:
"Comfort is a modern innovation"
The fact that Easter is named after an Anglo-Saxon fertility Goddess
"Comfort is a modern innovation"
The fact that Easter is named after an Anglo-Saxon fertility Goddess
May 7, 2011
This is a really wonderful textbook. Anytime someone attempts to cover 1100+ years in 600 pages there are bound to be some simplifications or omissions, but Brian Tierney handles them well and covers an impressive breadth of information without sacrificing clarity. He also writes with a good bit of life and dynamism that are often absent in textbooks like this. Anytime things are about to get bogged down in a confusion of names or dates or places, he pulls out a genuinely fun anecdote and saves the day.
Bottom line, it's informative and it's enjoyable. Just as importantly, it hits the right tone. There's a tendency to apply a moral judgement to the medieval era more so than other historical periods, a desire to either overly praise or overly condemn depending on your predilection. Brian Tierney acknowledges this, and he does a very nice job of celebrating the great parts of medieval history and acknowledging the parts that were not particularly flattering. Definitely worth a read.
Bottom line, it's informative and it's enjoyable. Just as importantly, it hits the right tone. There's a tendency to apply a moral judgement to the medieval era more so than other historical periods, a desire to either overly praise or overly condemn depending on your predilection. Brian Tierney acknowledges this, and he does a very nice job of celebrating the great parts of medieval history and acknowledging the parts that were not particularly flattering. Definitely worth a read.
March 3, 2012
A heavy, expensive, yet comprehensive and very well-written textbook covering the years of 300-1475, CE. Like most history texts, it doesn't allow a cohesive voice of the author/authors to shine through and thus feels impersonal in places but unlike many such texts, it is very engaging and binds together topical matter spanning a wealth of time and entire canvas of geography. It is, if you desire a book covering its focus subject, probably the best choice in print.
September 2, 2011
Thanks, Angie, for the recommendation! I really enjoyed this one (and I'm *not* a history buff). I especially found the sections about the early Universities interesting... I learned a lot about the beginnings of the higher ed systems. Amazing how little I know about that, given that I've worked in higher ed for about 15 years now.
November 12, 2007
One of my favorite text books ever :) Only read this if you have a true love for history...because it's a text book, of course!
December 15, 2013
Easy read and very informational. I only read the first half for school.
August 30, 2024
西欧中世纪的一切，或多或少决定了现代世界，值得多了解一些那段历史。北大出版社编辑校稿存在些小问题。
Merged review:
西欧中世纪的一切，或多或少决定了现代世界，值得多了解一些那段历史。北大出版社编辑校稿存在些小问题。
Merged review:
西欧中世纪的一切，或多或少决定了现代世界，值得多了解一些那段历史。北大出版社编辑校稿存在些小问题。
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews