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Titles in this series are specially commissioned textbooks for teachers and students. Designed to complement the monograph series, Cambridge Studies in Medieval Life and Thought, these books provide introductions to a range of topics in medieval history.

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30 results in Cambridge Medieval Textbooks

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England in the Thirteenth Century
  • Alan Harding
  • Published online:
    05 June 2012
    Print publication:
    30 July 1993
  • This is a comprehensive account of politics, government and society in thirteenth-century England. Three episodes stand out: the revolt of the barons against King John in 1215, the protest against the misgovernment of Henry III which began in 1258, and the resistance to the demands of Edward I on the resources of the land which came to a head in 1297. Professor Harding places these political events in the context of social and economic change, in order to provide a rounded account of the century. The introduction demonstrates the constitutional importance given by past historians to the period which saw the framing of the Magna Carta and the beginnings of Parliament and statute law. The central chapters describe the developing social structure of peasants, townsmen and professional people, knights, clergy and lay magnates. The book finally sees the politics of the century in terms of royal ambitions to dominate Britain and to play a leading role in Europe.

The Medieval Spains
  • Bernard F. Reilly
  • Published online:
    05 June 2012
    Print publication:
    03 June 1993
  • This book traces the political evolution of the Iberian peninsula from a group of late Roman imperial provinces to the Spanish and Portuguese monarchies of the Trastamara and Braganza dynasties of the mid-fifteenth century. The book is planned as a series of essays on the main chronological periods of medieval Spain, and sketches the major political, economic, social and intellectual features of each age and the interaction of Christian, Jew and Muslim in the Iberian peninsula. It also describes the effects of successive invasions, and the evolving interaction between a relatively weak Islamic rule and a variety of Christian kingdoms whose consolidation had only just begun by the late Middle Ages. It provides a wealth of analysis or description in a compact fashion and also covers the entire medieval period.

The Church in Western Europe from the Tenth to the Early Twelfth Century
  • Gerd Tellenbach
  • Translated by Timothy Reuter
  • Published online:
    05 June 2012
    Print publication:
    25 March 1993
  • This comprehensive survey of the history of the Church in Western Europe, considers the Church both as a set of institutions and as a spiritual body. The first half concentrates on the structures of religious belief and practice in the period 900–1050; the second half concentrates on the revolutionary changes associated with the rise of the papacy to an ascended level of ruler-ship. It shows how far one can talk of a 'reform movement', and how the idea and ideal of papal monarchy became both the prisoner and the leader of those who sought for a renewal of Christian life. Tellenbach's survey is the work of a scholar who has been working in the field for over 60 years. It is characterised by the freshness and maturity of its judgments, which cut through many fashionable theories. No other work on this topic offers comparable range, depth and authority.

Political Thought in Europe, 1250–1450
  • Antony Black
  • Published online:
    05 June 2012
    Print publication:
    20 August 1992
  • Why did European civilisation develop as it did? Why was it so different from that of Russia, the Islamic world and elsewhere? In this new textbook Antony Black explores some of the reasons, looking at ideas of the state, law, rulership, representation of the community, and the right to self-administration, and how, during a crucial period these became embedded in people's self-awareness, and articulated and justified by theorists. This is the first concise overview of a period never previously treated satisfactorily as a whole: Dr Black uses the analytical tools of scholars such as Pocock and Skinner to set the work of political theorists in the context of both contemporary politics and the longer-term history of political ideas. The book provides students of both medieval history and political thought with an accessible and lucid introduction to the early development of certain ideas fundamental to the organisation of the modern world and contains a full bibliography to assist students wishing to pursue the subject in greater depth.

The Norman Kingdom of Sicily
  • Donald Matthew
  • Published online:
    05 June 2012
    Print publication:
    30 July 1992
  • This book is an introductory account of the kingdom of Sicily established in 1130 by Roger II, a 'Norman' king, and ruled by Roger, his own son and grandsons until 1194 when the kingdom was conquered by his son-in-law, Henry VI of Hohenstaufen. The period covered does, however, extend from Charles of Anjou, a period roughly as long and as coherent as the 'Norman' monarchy of England between 1066 and 1204. Roger II's difficulties in creating an enduring kingdom needed continuous military effort. Even when these efforts were no longer required, the monarchy had still to learn how to function in lands where traditions of local government were strong. Yet when the monarchy itself faltered, the kingdom did not fall apart. Frederick II, the grandson of Roger II, showed that it could be revived and that his sons could maintain it. The ways in which the monarchy made itself indispensable cannot be traced in detail, but pointers to its success can be seen. The kingdom did not spring full-armed at birth - it took time and experience to hammer it into shape. When at last it looked capable of assuming the leadership of all Italy, its enemies combined to prevent it from doing so with the most profound consequences for Italy, the papacy and the west.

England in the Reign of Edward III
  • Scott L. Waugh
  • Published online:
    05 June 2012
    Print publication:
    22 February 1991
  • The reign of Edward III is usually remembered for his stirring victories over the French and Scots. Yet these triumphs occurred against a domestic backdrop of economic upheaval, crime, high taxation and the Black Death. Edward's ability to pursue his ambitions amid such challenges shows the effectiveness of his leadership and the resilience of English institutions. This book examines the strains on English life in this remarkable era, and shows how an interlocking network of hierarchies at each level enabled Edward to reach into local communities to get what he needed. Compliance, however, required hard bargaining as subjects chafed under incessant taxes and royal demands and, during Edward's reign, parliament became the primary arena for negotiations between the king and the community. Professor Waugh's incisive account of these tumultuous events also contains an extensive guide to further reading, in addition to a glossary of the more abstruse medieval terms.

The Papacy, 1073–1198
  • Continuity and Innovation
  • I. S. Robinson
  • Published online:
    05 June 2012
    Print publication:
    19 July 1990
  • Before the mid-eleventh century the pope was far from being the active leader of the Church that he is today: he restricted himself to the local concerns of the diocese of Rome and was virtually ignored by the outside world. This book is a study of the transformation of the role of the pope in the late eleventh and twelfth centuries, from which he emerged as monarch of the universal Church, dedicated to reform and to making the Church independent of secular control. The most important role in the new model government was given to the cardinals, who henceforward were the principal advisers, agents, and electors of the popes. These developments were accelerated by schism and political conflict: on three occasions the lawful pope was driven into exile by an antipope supported by a powerful secular ruler. Professor Robinson's text emphasises the growing importance of the college of cardinals and the practical aspects of papal government. It offers the most detailed analytical study yet available of this key period in the history of the papacy.

Medieval Wales
  • David Walker
  • Published online:
    05 June 2012
    Print publication:
    28 June 1990
  • This book provides an introduction to the history of medieval Wales, with particular emphasis on political developments. It traces the growth of Welsh princely power, and the invasion and settlement of Welsh territories by Norman adventurers which resulted in the creation of the marcher lordships and the steady erosion of Welsh princely authority in the south. The subsequent development of a powerful Welsh state under the leadership of the princes of Gwynedd was checked by Edward I in 1277, and thereafter the principality was deliberately overrun and destroyed: the Edwardian castles are symbols of conquest. Despite valiant attempts by local leaders in the thirteenth century, and by a national leader Owain Glyn Dwr early in the fifteenth, the English domination of Wales persisted, even beyond the advent of the Tudor dynasty. This is the first comprehensive short textbook on medieval Wales to be written for school and university students. It will also attract anyone with a general interest in Celtic studies or in the centuries which played such a formative role in the development of the Welsh national character.

Standards of Living in the Later Middle Ages
  • Social Change in England c.1200–1520
  • Christopher Dyer
  • Published online:
    05 June 2012
    Print publication:
    09 March 1989
  • Between 1200 and 1520 medieval English society went through a series of upheavals: this was an age of war, pestilence and rebellion. This book explores the realities of life of the people who lived through those stirring times. It looks in turn at aristocrats, peasants, townsmen, wage-earners and paupers, and examines how they obtained their incomes and how they spent them. This revised edition (1998) includes a substantial new concluding chapter and an updated bibliography.

The Hundred Years War
  • England and France at War c.1300–c.1450
  • Christopher Allmand
  • Published online:
    05 June 2012
    Print publication:
    04 February 1988
  • This is a comparative study of how the societies of late-medieval England and France reacted to the long period of conflict between them commonly known as the Hundred Years War. Beginning with an analysis of contemporary views regarding the war. Two chapters follow which describe the military aim of the protagonists, military and naval organisation, recruitment, and the raising of taxes. The remainder of the book describes and analyses some of the main social and economic effects of war upon society, the growth of a sense of national consciousness in time of conflict, and the social criticism which came from those who reacted to changes and development brought about by war. Although intended primarily as a textbook for students, Dr Allmand's study is much more than that. It makes an important general contribution to the history of war in medieval times, and opens up new and original perspectives on a familiar topic.

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