Evropa pozdního středověku 1300–1500

General History of Europe

by Denys Hay

In his book, Denys Hay analyses the structure of later medieval society in Europe, identifying its main groups and their political programmes, and examining their impact on the political, economic and social history of the major European states. Key themes explored in it also include the secular and religious roles of the Church; the early Renaissance in Italy and its influence beyond the Alps; and the cohesive effects of inter-European commerce. Professor Hay has revised his text throughout to take account of a whole generation of new scholarship since the original version appeared. There are many additions and expansions; the extensive bibliographies have been entirely reworked and updated; and the important chapter on the Central Monarchies (of Poland, Hungary, Bohemia, Rumania and Lithuania) has been newly contributed by Professor J. M. Bak of the University of British Columbia at Vancouver.

Genres: History, Medieval, Nonfiction

416 pages, Hardcover

First published November 9, 1970

About the author

Denys Hay was a historian specializing in medieval and Renaissance Europe, and notable for demonstrating the influence of Italy on events in the rest of the continent. He taught at the University of Edinburgh from 1954, eventually becoming Professor of Medieval History until he retired in 1980, and is remembered with the "Denys Hay Seminar" there. His final posting was to the European University Institute in Florence, where he was Professor in the History Department.

Reviews

[Dominique Lamssies · Rating 2 out of 5]

While this book does cover a very big time period over the entire continent, it's actually probably too broad and doesn't really offer anything useful to anyone. It's too vague to help people who don't know all the in's and out's of Europe at this time already, but doesn't have any solid conclusions or attempt to even really reveal the overarching themes of European culture at the time. For a dense, 400+ page book on subjects I wasn't very familiar with, I felt like I learned very little.

[Rob Markley · Rating 1 out of 5]

Very poor overview of the period. This book seems entirely written as a text for his undergraduates and to flatter his academic peers. Of no merit whatsoever for the non specialist reader of history

[Samuel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Európa neskorého stredoveku je ďalšou z voľnej rady dejiny Európy (voľnej preto, lebo v českom preklade v nej vychádzajú aj knihy, ktorých hlavným editorom nie je Denis Hay). Osobne sa mi čítala ťažšie ako Európa vrcholového stredoveku, pretože Hay sa snažil všetko povedať sám a len občas si pomohol doslovnými dobovými citáciami (na rozdiel od tej predchádzajúcej). To však niekomu môže vyhovovať, lebo Hay veľa vysvetľuje, zatiaľ čo konkrétne citácie často majú vypovedať samé za seba. Opäť ale povinné čítanie k dejinám stredoveku a vôbec k pochopeniu dejín pre každého, kto má o to záujem, pre študentov stredných a vysokých škôl, pre učiteľov dejepisu.

Čo sa mi osobne na knihe páčilo?
- keďže som už pár kníh z tejto rady prečítal, dovolím si povedať, že je prvá, ktorá sa vo väčšej miere venuje aj východnej Strednej Európe a Východnej Európe. V predchádzajúcich to chýbalo a verím, že v nasledujúcich pokračovaniach bude tento obsah pribúdať, pretože v opačnom prípade ide z veľkej väčšiny o dejiny Západnej Európy, pričom práve pochopenie rozdielov medzi západom a východom naprieč dejinami, môže byť kľúčové pre pochopenie dejín ako takých
- Hay (a ako vraví v úvode, jeho zosnulý priateľ a spolupracovník Betts) popisujú mnohé fenomény a témy v krátkych obrazoch. Podkapitoly majú neraz rozsah jednej stránky, čo uľahčuje čítanie a napomáha v momente, ak človek nepotrebuje knihu prečítať ako celok, ale hľadá len fragmenty. Na druhej strane, táto fragmentárnosť môže miasť v momente, keď chcete zachytiť hlavnú pointu kapitoly.
- hlavné témy knihy sa venujú mocnostiam a formám vlády(Francúzsko, Anglicko, Španielsko...), Storočnej vojne, kríze pápežstva a cirkvi a dejinám východu, mysleniu neskorého stredoveku a obchodu. Tematicky veľmi široké a bohaté na poznatky.

Najväčšie sklamanie?
Hay bol okrem stredoveku odborníkom aj na renesanciu. Tejto dejinnej kapitole však venoval celkom málo priestoru a chýbalo mi tam výraznejšie pripomenutie, že šlo skôr o pokračovanie, než zlom v myslení.

[Althea Duffy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Comprehensive overview of 14th-15th century Europe, covering social, political, economic, and intellectual history. Includes maps and genealogical tables of various major families - useful, since there's a lot of material covered here!

[Daniel Turner · Rating 2 out of 5]

Trying to cover too much so it ends up conveying very little

[E.A. Bucchianeri · Rating 3 out of 5]

As the title suggests, it is a general overview of the late medieval period of Europe, and according to the back cover, has become the standard introduction to that era in universities and colleges. My sympathies to all future history 101 students who are assigned this book in their reading lists. Yes, it is packed with information, but it is dished out in such a general form that after wading through the text from cover to cover, you feel no wiser than before, even for a general introduction, it simply fails to engage the reader ala Froissart. Perhaps the author tried to fit too much data into a little space, and the chapters are rather short. However, it is useful for searching out informative quotations and factoids for term papers and other research projects. It is more helpful if used simply as an encyclopedic reference book, for instance, looking up different sections on conditions of trade, religious practises and the church councils, conditions of travel, the arts and culture, the ravages and outcomes of battles, the various successions to the royal thrones of Europe, etc, rather than expect it to be an attention-grabbing read. Several interesting general genealogical tables are included in the appendix, i.e. for the English Royal family, the rulers of Portugal, Castile, Aragon and Navarre, Poland Hungary and Bohemia, the rulers of Naples and Milan, the Medicis, the Scandinavian kingdoms, the German and Holy Roman Emperors, and also the Palaeologi and Ottoman rulers from this period. There are also several maps displaying the political layout of Europe in those times, and an index. I would recommend it as a reference book to thumb through when needed, but that is all.

E.A. Bucchianeri, author of "Faust: My Soul be Damned for the World"

[David Newell · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are a few bad reviews of this book, and I understand why.

The first few chapters are pretty tedious, and difficult to get through. but the book on the whole is very good.

There is a good amount of information, sources are frequently mentioned and discussed, and Hay writes in an informative and digestible way.

While a slow start, the 'meat' of the book, the history of various countries and areas of Europe is great. and the focus on European religion, culture, and trade in separate chapters at the end really brings the book together very well

[sologdin · Rating 2 out of 5]

basic, nuts and bolts overview consistent with the title. nothing objectionable from a lay perspective, but nothing too flashy, neither.

[Kalliope · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book to read. Lots to learn. Proper review will follow. Doubting between 4 an 5 stars.

[Bevan Lewis · Rating 3 out of 5]

A standard text on the medieval period for many years. Still useful although of course missing the latest research and not the focus on social history found in more recent surveys