Best Medieval History Books (813 books)

This list is for non-fiction books covering the Middle Ages, c.406-1492.

General histories, social histories, political/military histories, and biographies are all good. Historical fiction is not. :)

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1	A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous 14th Century by Barbara W. Tuchman 4.05 avg rating — 43,967 ratings score: 7,664, and 79 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
2	The Time Traveller's Guide to Medieval England: A Handbook for Visitors to the Fourteenth Century by Ian Mortimer (Goodreads Author) 4.02 avg rating — 26,386 ratings score: 5,241, and 54 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
3	The Plantagenets: The Kings Who Made England by Dan Jones (Goodreads Author) 4.25 avg rating — 23,643 ratings score: 4,184, and 43 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
4	Eleanor of Aquitaine: A Life by Alison Weir 3.93 avg rating — 16,665 ratings score: 3,197, and 35 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
5	1453: The Holy War for Constantinople and the Clash of Islam and the West by Roger Crowley 4.26 avg rating — 7,145 ratings score: 2,264, and 24 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
6	In Search of the Dark Ages by Michael Wood 4.01 avg rating — 2,070 ratings score: 2,169, and 24 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
7	A World Lit Only by Fire: The Medieval Mind and the Renaissance: Portrait of an Age by William Manchester 3.83 avg rating — 12,848 ratings score: 2,144, and 23 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
8	She-Wolves: The Women Who Ruled England Before Elizabeth by Helen Castor 4.04 avg rating — 8,528 ratings score: 1,995, and 22 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
9	The Year 1000: What Life Was Like at the Turn of the First Millennium, An Englishman's World by Robert Lacey 3.87 avg rating — 5,861 ratings score: 1,982, and 22 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
10	The History of the Medieval World: From the Conversion of Constantine to the First Crusade by Susan Wise Bauer 4.11 avg rating — 5,213 ratings score: 1,959, and 21 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
11	The Wars of the Roses by Alison Weir really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 9,306 ratings score: 1,950, and 22 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
12	How the Irish Saved Civilization: The Untold Story of Ireland's Heroic Role from the Fall of Rome to the Rise of Medieval Europe by Thomas Cahill 3.81 avg rating — 46,756 ratings score: 1,828, and 19 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
13	The Three Edwards (The Plantagenets, #3) by Thomas B. Costain 4.11 avg rating — 1,170 ratings score: 1,726, and 19 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
14	Queen Isabella: Treachery, Adultery, and Murder in Medieval England by Alison Weir 3.77 avg rating — 7,899 ratings score: 1,658, and 19 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
15	Ecclesiastical History of the English People by Bede 3.83 avg rating — 4,873 ratings score: 1,639, and 18 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
16	1066: The Year of the Conquest by David Howarth 4.06 avg rating — 4,581 ratings score: 1,565, and 18 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
17	The Wars of the Roses: The Fall of the Plantagenets and the Rise of the Tudors by Dan Jones (Goodreads Author) 4.25 avg rating — 15,172 ratings score: 1,550, and 16 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
18	The Last Plantagenets (The Plantagenets, #4) by Thomas B. Costain 4.14 avg rating — 1,299 ratings score: 1,531, and 17 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
19	Cathedral, Forge, and Waterwheel: Technology and Invention in the Middle Ages by Frances Gies 3.88 avg rating — 934 ratings score: 1,510, and 18 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
20	The Magnificent Century (The Plantagenets, #2) by Thomas B. Costain 4.15 avg rating — 1,019 ratings score: 1,412, and 16 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
21	1215: The Year of Magna Carta by Danny Danziger 3.81 avg rating — 2,313 ratings score: 1,384, and 16 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
22	Art and Beauty in the Middle Ages by Umberto Eco 3.97 avg rating — 1,532 ratings score: 1,378, and 16 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
23	A Great and Terrible King: Edward I and the Forging of Britain by Marc Morris 4.16 avg rating — 5,064 ratings score: 1,371, and 16 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
24	Medieval Women by Eileen Power 3.94 avg rating — 513 ratings score: 1,370, and 16 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
25	The Princes in the Tower by Alison Weir 3.87 avg rating — 7,723 ratings score: 1,319, and 15 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
26	Life in a Medieval City by Frances Gies 3.84 avg rating — 3,887 ratings score: 1,254, and 14 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
27	William Marshal: The Flower of Chivalry by Georges Duby 3.84 avg rating — 713 ratings score: 1,240, and 13 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
28	A Medieval Family: The Pastons of Fifteenth-Century England by Joseph Gies 3.81 avg rating — 258 ratings score: 1,170, and 14 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
29	Women in the Middle Ages by Frances Gies 3.77 avg rating — 897 ratings score: 1,166, and 14 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
30	Queen of the Conqueror: The Life of Matilda, Wife of William I by Tracy Borman 3.91 avg rating — 1,720 ratings score: 1,161, and 13 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
31	The Fall of Constantinople 1453 by Steven Runciman 4.31 avg rating — 1,548 ratings score: 1,139, and 14 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
32	In the Wake of the Plague: The Black Death and the World It Made by Norman F. Cantor 3.41 avg rating — 5,436 ratings score: 1,109, and 14 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
33	Warriors of God: Richard the Lionheart and Saladin in the Third Crusade by James Reston Jr. 3.96 avg rating — 2,031 ratings score: 1,095, and 13 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
34	Terry Jones' Medieval Lives by Terry Jones 4.02 avg rating — 2,968 ratings score: 1,034, and 12 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
35	Byzantium: The Apogee by John Julius Norwich 4.42 avg rating — 1,276 ratings score: 1,033, and 11 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
36	The Norman Conquest by Marc Morris 4.17 avg rating — 5,258 ratings score: 1,019, and 11 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
37	Uppity Women of Medieval Times by Vicki León 3.76 avg rating — 1,044 ratings score: 972, and 12 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
37	Richard the Third by Paul Murray Kendall 3.98 avg rating — 2,976 ratings score: 972, and 12 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
39	Medieval Women: A Social History of Women in England 450-1500 by Henrietta Leyser 3.86 avg rating — 669 ratings score: 970, and 12 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
40	The Conquering Family (The Plantagenets, #1) by Thomas B. Costain 4.11 avg rating — 1,526 ratings score: 968, and 11 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
41	The Death of King Arthur by Anonymous 4.01 avg rating — 1,693 ratings score: 943, and 11 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
42	Summer of Blood: The Peasants' Revolt of 1381 by Dan Jones (Goodreads Author) 3.98 avg rating — 1,991 ratings score: 933, and 11 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
43	The Warrior Queens by Antonia Fraser 3.71 avg rating — 2,796 ratings score: 931, and 11 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
44	The First Crusade: A New History by Thomas Asbridge (Goodreads Author) 4.14 avg rating — 1,668 ratings score: 923, and 11 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
45	The Travels by Marco Polo 3.57 avg rating — 8,140 ratings score: 884, and 11 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
46	Mysteries of the Middle Ages: The Rise of Feminism, Science and Art from the Cults of Catholic Europe by Thomas Cahill 3.80 avg rating — 4,658 ratings score: 860, and 11 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
47	The Ornament of the World: How Muslims, Jews, and Christians Created a Culture of Tolerance in Medieval Spain by María Rosa Menocal 3.92 avg rating — 3,046 ratings score: 856, and 11 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
48	The Oxford Illustrated History of the Crusades by Jonathan Riley-Smith (Editor) 3.72 avg rating — 357 ratings score: 820, and 11 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
49	The Great Mortality: An Intimate History of the Black Death, the Most Devastating Plague of All Time by John Kelly (Goodreads Author) 3.88 avg rating — 11,575 ratings score: 800, and 9 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
50	A History of the Crusades, Vol. II: The Kingdom of Jerusalem and the Frankish East, 1100-1187 by Steven Runciman 4.34 avg rating — 919 ratings score: 777, and 9 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
51	The Empress Matilda: Queen Consort, Queen Mother and Lady of the English by Marjorie Chibnall 3.92 avg rating — 135 ratings score: 773, and 10 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
52	The Waning of the Middle Ages by Johan Huizinga 4.03 avg rating — 4,324 ratings score: 772, and 9 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
53	Those Terrible Middle Ages!: Debunking the Myths by Régine Pernoud 3.98 avg rating — 545 ratings score: 758, and 9 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
54	A History Of The Crusades 3 Volume Set by Steven Runciman 4.43 avg rating — 209 ratings score: 739, and 10 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
55	Katherine Swynford: The Story of John of Gaunt and His Scandalous Duchess by Alison Weir 3.86 avg rating — 5,782 ratings score: 732, and 8 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
56	The Fourth Crusade and the Sack of Constantinople by Jonathan Phillips 4.08 avg rating — 875 ratings score: 725, and 9 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
57	Agincourt: The King, The Campaign, The Battle by Juliet Barker 4.14 avg rating — 2,094 ratings score: 710, and 8 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
58	Eleanor of Aquitaine and the Four Kings by Amy Kelly 3.94 avg rating — 973 ratings score: 708, and 8 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
59	Revelations of the Medieval World (A History of Private Life, #2) by Philippe Ariès (Editor) really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 596 ratings score: 707, and 9 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
59	The Normans in Sicily : The Magnificent Story of 'the Other Norman Conquest' by John Julius Norwich 4.33 avg rating — 349 ratings score: 707, and 9 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
61	A History of the Vikings by Gwyn Jones 3.85 avg rating — 1,094 ratings score: 706, and 9 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
62	Winter King: Henry VII and the Dawn of Tudor England by Thomas Penn 3.82 avg rating — 4,216 ratings score: 703, and 8 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
63	A Short History of Byzantium by John Julius Norwich 4.11 avg rating — 2,622 ratings score: 688, and 9 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
64	A History of the Crusades, Vol. III: The Kingdom of Acre and the Later Crusades by Steven Runciman 4.35 avg rating — 712 ratings score: 673, and 8 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
65	Medieval Lives: Eight Charismatic Men and Women of the Middle Ages by Norman F. Cantor 3.47 avg rating — 195 ratings score: 653, and 8 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
66	Maimonides by Sherwin B. Nuland 3.67 avg rating — 184 ratings score: 652, and 9 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
67	Saint Thomas Aquinas and Saint Francis of Assisi by G.K. Chesterton 4.15 avg rating — 380 ratings score: 643, and 8 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
68	The Fall of the Roman Empire: A New History of Rome and the Barbarians by Peter Heather 4.16 avg rating — 4,324 ratings score: 633, and 7 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
69	The Northern Crusades by Eric Christiansen 3.75 avg rating — 529 ratings score: 621, and 8 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
70	Charlemagne: The Formation of a European Identity by Rosamond McKitterick 3.80 avg rating — 112 ratings score: 596, and 7 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
71	The Divine Comedy: Inferno - Purgatorio - Paradiso by Dante Alighieri 4.08 avg rating — 171,270 ratings score: 595, and 7 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
71	King John, 1167-1216 by Wilfred Lewis Warren 3.35 avg rating — 7,958 ratings score: 595, and 7 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
73	A History of the Crusades, Volume 1: The First Crusade and the Foundations of the Kingdom of Jerusalem by Steven Runciman 4.29 avg rating — 1,898 ratings score: 594, and 7 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
73	The Vikings by Else Roesdahl 3.82 avg rating — 1,184 ratings score: 594, and 7 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
75	The Hundred Years War: The English in France 1337-1453 by Desmond Seward 3.87 avg rating — 1,326 ratings score: 592, and 8 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
76	Aladdin's Lamp: How Greek Science Came to Europe Through the Islamic World by John Freely 3.59 avg rating — 307 ratings score: 585, and 8 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
77	The Medieval Kitchen: Recipes from France and Italy by Odile Redon 4.01 avg rating — 241 ratings score: 577, and 7 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
78	Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World by Jack Weatherford 4.06 avg rating — 83,259 ratings score: 563, and 6 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
79	The New Concise History of the Crusades by Thomas F. Madden (Goodreads Author) 4.04 avg rating — 667 ratings score: 555, and 7 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
80	Four Queens: The Provençal Sisters Who Ruled Europe by Nancy Goldstone (Goodreads Author) 3.89 avg rating — 4,621 ratings score: 553, and 6 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
81	Medieval Civilization 400-1500 by Jacques Le Goff 4.15 avg rating — 1,194 ratings score: 551, and 6 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
81	1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus by Charles C. Mann 4.05 avg rating — 94,805 ratings score: 551, and 6 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
83	The Sicilian Vespers: A History of the Mediterranean World in the Later Thirteenth Century by Steven Runciman 4.22 avg rating — 519 ratings score: 541, and 8 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
84	Life in a Medieval Village by Frances Gies 3.87 avg rating — 2,189 ratings score: 535, and 6 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
85	The Great Medieval Heretics: Five Centuries of Religious Dissent by Michael Frassetto 3.62 avg rating — 139 ratings score: 513, and 7 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
86	England under the Norman and Angevin Kings, 1075 - 1225 by Robert Bartlett 4.16 avg rating — 256 ratings score: 512, and 6 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
87	The Crusades: The Authoritative History of the War for the Holy Land by Thomas Asbridge (Goodreads Author) 4.23 avg rating — 6,964 ratings score: 500, and 6 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
88	Celtic Blood by James John Loftus (Goodreads Author) 3.58 avg rating — 128 ratings score: 497, and 6 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
89	Roman Britain and Early England: 55 BC - AD 871 by Peter Hunter Blair 3.80 avg rating — 165 ratings score: 487, and 7 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
90	The History of the Franks by Gregory of Tours 3.87 avg rating — 1,578 ratings score: 475, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
91	The Vikings by Magnus Magnusson 3.95 avg rating — 293 ratings score: 474, and 6 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
92	Simon de Montfort by J.R. Maddicott 3.89 avg rating — 45 ratings score: 472, and 6 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
93	Queen Emma and Queen Edith: Queenship and Women's Power in Eleventh-century England by Pauline Stafford 3.94 avg rating — 47 ratings score: 470, and 6 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
94	The Plantagenet Chronicles by Elizabeth Hallam 4.04 avg rating — 138 ratings score: 461, and 6 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
94	Queens Consort: England's Medieval Queens by Lisa Hilton 3.89 avg rating — 1,665 ratings score: 461, and 6 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
96	The Medieval World Complete by Robert Bartlett (Editor) 4.22 avg rating — 133 ratings score: 454, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
97	Empires and Barbarians: The Fall of Rome and the Birth of Europe by Peter Heather 3.97 avg rating — 998 ratings score: 453, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
98	The Making of Europe: Conquest, Colonization and Cultural Change, 950 - 1350 by Robert Bartlett 3.97 avg rating — 710 ratings score: 450, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
99	The Black Death by Philip Ziegler 3.71 avg rating — 1,472 ratings score: 448, and 6 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
100	Edward II by Seymour Phillips 4.14 avg rating — 90 ratings score: 443, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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813 books · 323 voters · list created March 16th, 2011 by Catelyn May (votes) .

Tags: dark-ages, history, medieval, medieval-history, middle-ages, non-fiction, nonfiction

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message 1: by Themis-Athena (Lioness at Large) (last edited Mar 17, 2011 11:30AM) (new)

Mar 17, 2011 11:29AM

I notice a few primary source texts from the Middle Ages are beginning to sneak in, as well as at least one novel (Scott's "Ivanhoe"). I take it the novel will have to go ... but what is your take on primary texts from the era?

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message 2: by Catelyn (new)

Mar 17, 2011 12:04PM

I created the list specifically for histories & biographies, excluding fiction.

I think non-fiction work from the era is fine (I see Aquinas' Summa Theologica up there, and I imagine someone might add the letters of Abelard and Heloise). Those are fine. I'd prefer the list didn't turn into primarily source material, though. There are two other lists: "Best Medieval Literature" which is fiction from the period, and "Medieval Books and Classical Writings..." which is primarily source material, fiction and non.

I wish there was some way I could remove the historical fiction though.

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message 3: by Themis-Athena (Lioness at Large) (new)

Mar 17, 2011 12:57PM

I removed "Ivanhoe" (and added, with pleasure, the letters of Abelard and Heloise ... had been tempted but didn't want to add anything you'd rather not see on this list).

What about "The Death of King Arthur" and "The Song of Roland"?

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message 4: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (new)

Mar 19, 2011 09:41AM

What about Marco Polo?

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message 5: by Catelyn (new)

Mar 19, 2011 10:59AM

I'd say yes to all three, The Death of King Arthur, The Song of Roland, and Marco Polo.

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message 6: by Bryce (new)

Jun 12, 2012 05:56PM

Themis-Athena wrote: "I notice a few primary source texts from the Middle Ages are beginning to sneak in, as well as at least one novel (Scott's "Ivanhoe"). I take it the novel will have to go ... but what is your take..."

Primary sources are fairly safe here given that they represent the real world perspective of medieval people - the genre does not make the source any less valid. The whole of idea of 'non' fiction is reductionist in that it only labels what a publication is not - rather than describing what is other than fiction. Richard McKeon's 'Truth and the History of Ideas' is illuminating here...

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message 7: by Dorothy (new)

Jul 08, 2013 05:45PM

Thomas Costain's books are historical fiction and probably should not be on this list.

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message 8: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (new)

Jul 08, 2013 08:49PM

Mr. Costain was a historical novelist, yes, but the works of his in question on this list are straight non-fiction.

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message 9: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (new)

Mar 25, 2014 11:07AM

A biography of Alexander the Great? (#184)

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message 10: by Waldo (new)

Jul 28, 2015 03:33PM

Medicine in the Crusades Warfare, Wounds and the Medieval Surgeon by Piers D. Mitchell

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message 11: by Waldo (new)

Jul 28, 2015 03:34PM

Magna Carta The Making and Legacy of the Great Charter by Dan Jones

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message 12: by Waldo (new)

Jul 28, 2015 03:35PM

The Medieval Warrior Weapons, Technology, and Fighting Techniques, AD 1000-1500 by Martin J. Dougherty

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message 13: by Waldo (new)

Jul 28, 2015 03:35PM

Scenes of Medieval Life, Three Volume Set by Joseph Gies

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message 14: by Waldo (new)

Jul 28, 2015 03:36PM

The Medieval Fortress Castles, Forts, And Walled Cities Of The Middle Ages by J.E. Kaufmann

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message 15: by Waldo (new)

Jul 28, 2015 03:37PM

Nobles and Nobility in Medieval Europe Concepts, Origins, Transformations by Stuart Airlie

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message 16: by Waldo (new)

Jul 28, 2015 03:38PM

The History of Armour 1100-1700. Paul F. Walker by Paul F Walker

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message 17: by Waldo (new)

Jul 28, 2015 03:52PM

The Four Branches of the Mabinogi Celtic Myth and Medieval Reality by Will Parker

Just thought I would add a few titles I have acquired in my library that are missing here. Not sure why they are on the list or not but they definitely make it into my list for researching the period. Good money spent; though I have not read through them all I did compare them to what books are extant on their subject. I find the want of books representing the study of medicine to be rather appalling for the ambitions of a list such as this.

While I am careful with my choices to equip my personal reference library, I would not consider myself a scholar or even a finder of rare books.

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message 18: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (new)

Jul 28, 2015 08:31PM

You add books at the top of the list, at the tab next to "all votes."

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message 19: by Andronikos (new)

Oct 20, 2015 05:04PM

YESS! Norwich! How about some Ammianus Marcellinus, by the way? True, one could lump him in with the "classical era", but still, if you're looking for primary sources...

Also: Peter Heather's Fall of the Roman Empire? How about Ian Mortimer's "Time Traveller's Guide to the Medieval World", or Marc Morris's "The Norman Conquest." Also another delightful book that's practically only sold in Scotland: "James IV" by Norman MacDougall. EPIC biography of the king that anticipated Machiavelli almost to the letter...

Anyway, just some suggestions. Really good list- some of these books look positively mouthwatering...

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message 20: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (new)

Oct 20, 2015 09:06PM

Ian Mortimer's guide to 14th century England is in 2nd place.

You can add books to the list at the top of the list, at the tab next to "all votes."

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message 21: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (new)

Mar 15, 2017 02:45PM

I combined duplicates, which should have gotten it.

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message 22: by BookLovingLady (deceased Jan. 25, 2023...) (last edited Jul 04, 2019 09:10AM) (new)

Jul 03, 2019 09:25AM

The Decameron is not 'non-fiction' as the description says (This list is for non-fiction books) and has been removed.

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message 23: by Waldo (new)

Jul 03, 2019 11:55PM

Booklovinglady wrote: "The Decameron is not 'non-fiction' as the description says and has been removed."

Is The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri non-fiction?
I mean, we've likely all gone through hell for our art, but not literally....

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message 24: by BookLovingLady (deceased Jan. 25, 2023...) (new)

Jul 04, 2019 09:07AM

Waldo wrote: "Is The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri non-fiction?..."

Nope.

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message 25: by Waldo (last edited Jul 04, 2019 09:16PM) (new)

Jul 04, 2019 09:05PM

Booklovinglady wrote: "Waldo wrote: "Is The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri non-fiction?..."

Nope."

That explains why it is at #66 (whoops! Missing one point on The Star)

Looking further up, and though I have not read the book, I also draw attention to the fact that "King Arthur" is a character of fiction...

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message 26: by BookLovingLady (deceased Jan. 25, 2023...) (last edited Jul 05, 2019 12:16AM) (new)

Jul 05, 2019 12:04AM

Waldo wrote: "Looking further up, and though I have not read the book, I also draw attention to the fact that "King Arthur" is a character of fiction... ..."

Votes are out on whether King Arthur was a real person or a 'character of fiction' 😉

#226 (The Song of Roland) is definitely not 'non-fiction', #275 (Sweeney Astray) is not either.

#337 (Gods and Myths of Northern Europe) is non-fiction alright, but I'm not sure it covers the Middle Ages specifically, although mention is made of the period occasionally.

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message 27: by Waldo (last edited Jul 05, 2019 07:41AM) (new)

Jul 05, 2019 07:34AM

Booklovinglady wrote: "Waldo wrote: "Looking further up, and though I have not read the book, I also draw attention to the fact that "King Arthur" is a character of fiction... ..."

Votes are out on whether King Arthur w..."

History records that the tales of a courtly Arthur are, in deed, as non-fiction as The Decameron. Whether the kernel of truth is a Britain-Roman soldier of the late "Dark Ages" to Early Middle Ages, the idea of chivalry and so forth is straight out of a Miss Manners Handbook of the times the story was being told. The comparisons to the Welsh Merlin as the Odin/Woden of Norse belief are apt. So if the book is about knights in shinning armour rather than the discussion of "the real" King Arthur, then it has no more claim to be on the list than The Decameron or The Divine Comedy (still hanging on at #66).

Excellent documentaries on the subject include "Arthur King Of The Britons", and "King Arthur's Britain" as well as another documentary by Michael Wood, the name of which escapes me.

I highly recommend the non-fiction book by Guy Halsall "Worlds of Authur".

I wryly note the name Arthur in all those titles, but they are there for marketing value rather than for historical verification. At best, the story of Aurthur is inspired by real events and is thus a fiction, and historical fiction at best.

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message 28: by Waldo (new)

Jul 05, 2019 07:46AM

PS: Is there a way to search this list for a title? Once upon a time I went through the whole list - even posting about books that were not listed without adding them.

I would like to use such community efforts to create an accurate list for my own research purposes. Searching would make the act of verification much easier.

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