Synopses & Reviews
This vivid and comprehensive account of the politics, religion, and culture of England in the century and a half after the Norman Conquest lays bare the patterns of everyday life, and increases our understanding of medieval society at a time when England was more closely tied to Europe than
ever before.
This was a period in which the ruling dynasty and military aristocracy were deeply enmeshed with the politics and culture of France. The book describes their conflicts and their preoccupations: the sense of honour, the role of violence, and the glitter of tournament, heraldry, and Arthurian
romance. The author explores the mechanics of their government, and analyzes the part played by the Church at a time of radical developments in religious life and organization. He investigates the role of ordinary men and women: the fundamental importance of the peasant economy in the growing urban
and commercial arenas; and also their outlook on the world, including their views on the past; on gender and behavior; on animals; the undead, and the occult. The result is a fascinating and complex account of a period which begins with conquest and ends in assimilation.
Review
"Words of praise the author applies to the historians of his period can well be applied to this work, 'The quantity , quality, and variety are all alike impressive.'"--Albion
"startlingly clear and often unusual images of life under the Norman and Angevin kings." -- B.R. O'Brien, CHOICE Nov. 2000, Vol.38, No.3.
Synopsis
This vivid and comprehensive account of the politics, religion, and culture of England in the century and a half after the Norman Conquest lays bare the patterns of everyday life, and increases our understanding of medieval society at a time when England was more closely tied to Europe than ever before.
This was a period in which the ruling dynasty and military aristocracy were deeply enmeshed with the politics and culture of France. The book describes their conflicts and their preoccupations: the sense of honour, the role of violence, and the glitter of tournament, heraldry, and Arthurian romance. The author explores the mechanics of their government, and analyzes the part played by the Church at a time of radical developments in religious life and organization. He investigates the role of ordinary men and women: the fundamental importance of the peasant economy in the growing urban and commercial arenas; and also their outlook on the world, including their views on the past; on gender and behavior; on animals; the undead, and the occult. The result is a fascinating and complex account of a period which begins with conquest and ends in assimilation.
Synopsis
*An account of a period in history when England was more closely tied with Europe than ever before.
Synopsis
This lively and far-reaching account of the politics, religion, and culture of England in the century and a half after the Norman Conquest provides a vivid picture of everyday existence, and increases our understanding of all aspects of medieval society. There are colourful details of the everyday life of ordinary men and women, with their views on the past, on sexuality, on animals, on death, the undead, and the occult. The result is a fascinating and comprehensive portrayal of a period which begins with conquest and ends in assimilation.
About the Author
'Robert Bartlett is Wardlaw Professor of Medieval History, University of St. Andrews, and author of
Gerald of Wales (OUP, 1992),
Trial by Fire and Water (OUP, 1986), and
The Making of Europe (1993).
'
Table of Contents
Introduction
1. Political Patterns: The Struggle for the Succession, 1075-1225; The Cross-Channel Realm; Court Politics; Predatory and Punitive Rule; Rebellion
2. England and Beyond: England and the British Isles; England and the Wider World
3. Lordship and Government: Kingship and Lordship; Regality; The Household and Household Administration; Itineration; Assemblies; Territorial Administration; Royal Finances; Courts and Judgements; Records and Record-Keeping
4. The Aristocracy: The Structure of the Aristocracy; The Aristocratic Estate; The Life of the Aristocracy
5. Warfare: Waging War; Recruitment; Castles
6. The Rural Foundations: The Physical Framework; Population; Settlement Patterns; Land Use and Agricultural Techniques; The Manorial Economy; Rural Social Structure
7. Towns and Trade: Urbanization; Town Law; Urban Self-Government; London; Urban Unrest; The Jews; Trade, the Framework; Commodities; Coinage and Monetization
8. The Institutional Church: The Hierarchy; Kingly Power and Priestly Power; The Religious
9. Religious Life: Concepts of the Holy; Devotion; Saints and their Cults; Overseas Pilgrimage; Dissent
10. Cultural Patterns: Languages and Literature; Education and Higher Learning; The Visual Arts; Performance; The Value of the Arts
11. The Course of Life: Childhood; Naming Patterns; Love, Sex, and Marriage; Manners; Medicine and Healing; Death and the Dead
12. Cosmologies: Time; The World; The Chain of Being; Beings Neither Angelic, Human, nor Animal
Chronology of Political Events
Bibliography
Index
Introduction
1. Political Patterns: The Struggle for the Succession, 1075-1225; The Cross-Channel Realm; Court Politics; Predatory and Punitive Rule; Rebellion
2. England and Beyond: England and the British Isles; England and the Wider World
3. Lordship and Government: Kingship and Lordship; Regality; The Household and Household Administration; Itineration; Assemblies; Territorial Administration; Royal Finances; Courts and Judgements; Records and Record-Keeping
4. The Aristocracy: The Structure of the Aristocracy; The Aristocratic Estate; The Life of the Aristocracy
5. Warfare: Waging War; Recruitment; Castles
6. The Rural Foundations: The Physical Framework; Population; Settlement Patterns; Land Use and Agricultural Techniques; The Manorial Economy; Rural Social Structure
7. Towns and Trade: Urbanization; Town Law; Urban Self-Government; London; Urban Unrest; The Jews; Trade, the Framework; Commodities; Coinage and Monetization
8. The Institutional Church: The Hierarchy; Kingly Power and Priestly Power; The Religious
9. Religious Life: Concepts of the Holy; Devotion; Saints and their Cults; Overseas Pilgrimage; Dissent
10. Cultural Patterns: Languages and Literature; Education and Higher Learning; The Visual Arts; Performance; The Value of the Arts
11. The Course of Life: Childhood; Naming Patterns; Love, Sex, and Marriage; Manners; Medicine and Healing; Death and the Dead
12. Cosmologies: Time; The World; The Chain of Being; Beings Neither Angelic, Human, nor Animal
Chronology of Political Events
Bibliography
Index