San Antonio College Library

Many aspects of medieval society are alien to the twentieth-century observer, such as the hierarchy of ranks and the division of authority into the secular and the religious. Yet medieval history is full of personalities who attract and interest us and Christopher Brooke portrays them in the context of their society. Keeping generalization to a minimum, the author concentrates on particular topics -- the court, the papacy, the law, the town and the...

Most of the time we try not to think about death, but the people of the Middle Ages didn't have that luxury. Death was always close at hand, for young and old, rich and poor - even before the horrors of the Black Death, which killed millions in a few short months. However, for the people of the Middle Ages death wasn't an end but a doorway to everlasting life. The Church taught that an eternity spent in heaven or hell was much more important than...

Discusses life in France in the Middle Ages.

Describes the daily life of noblewomen, nuns, and peasants in feudal England and Europe, looks at the treatment of lepers, beggars, prostitutes, and criminals, and offers brief profiles of prominent medieval women.