The Pillars of the Earth, Ken Follet. Dodgy writing but brilliant evocation of the time, and especially social and engineering detail.
The Pillars of the Earth, Ken Follet. Dodgy writing but brilliant evocation of the time, and especially social and engineering detail.
Men fear thought as they fear nothing else on earth -- more than ruin -- more even than death .... Thought is subversive and revolutionary, destructive and terrible, thought is merciless to privilege, established institutions, and comfortable habit. Thought looks into the pit of hell and is not afraid. Thought is great and swift and free, the light of the world, and the chief glory of man. Bertrand Russell
Robert Bartlett, The Making of Europe.
The Accursed Kings of Maurice Druon. Very good books.
For George Martin fan: you must know that books giving the idea of A Song of Ice and Fire unless it's historical and not fantastic.
Jaques LeGoff : Medieval Civilization 400 - 1500
Whites & Reds: A global alternate history mod for The Darkest Hour.
Member of the Ahistorical Association of Paradox Interactive : Social group / Thread
I am a fan of Thomas Cahill, so I would recommend Mysteries of the Middle Ages: The Rise of Feminism, Science, and Art from the Cults of Catholic Europe (2006). He covers a lot of ground, but I find the chapters on Francis Bacon and the Franciscan-Dominican controversy the best. Like his other work (cf How the Irish Saved Civilization), this one has a rather political purpose: revealing to 21st century Catholics the medieval heritage that has been lost amid imperialistic papal politics, most notably in his chapter on Dante explaining just why Pope Boniface VIII is in the depths of Hell in Inferno. The same chapter details the Guelph-Ghibelline conflict that led Dante into exile in Ravenna.
I am currently reading Aristotle's Children by Richard E. Rubenstein. There is a good discussion of the transition from Late Antiquity to medieval times in the Mediterranean and for our period some interesting stuff on how classical learning was rediscovered. If you want to understand the intellectual impact of rediscovering Aristotle in Spain and the role of the Church in disseminating knowledge, this might be a good book for you. Like Cahill, there's plenty of side stories to keep you entertained and of course draw on for your own CK2 mods.
Last edited by RedRooster81; 23-03-2012 at 14:47.
Works in Progress for CK2:
The Matter of Britain, an Arthurian overhaul for Crusader Kings II.
Expansion #1: Lord of the Manor - Manage Your Demesne ("The Republic" DLC required)
Expansion #2: Courts and Titles - Knighthood, Chivalry, and All That (A "Legacy of Rome" add-on)
Pillars of The Earth
I'm reading The Medieval Village by G.G. Coulton, only started it so I can't tell how good it is, but it's a very heavy read. Will check out some of the books mentioned here, thanks
If you want to read about The Crusades seen from both sides, I can recommend "The Crusades" by Thomas Ashbrigde. It is about how it all started to the end of the Crusader States.
Also some about the Popes and their motivation for launching a crusade.
To understand Feudal society at this time, namely English Feudal society, read William Marshall.
+1 really a good read.Originally Posted by pyraz
his other book The First Crusade goes even deeper into the subject of well...1st crusade. brings characters like Bohemund and Raymond of Toulouse really to life
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1066 The Hidden History in The Bayeux Tapestry by Andrew Bidgeford is a good read on the Norman Conquest of England. The thesis is that the tapestry is actual a Saxon recounting of the conflict not Norman. Lots of interesting information on the invasion and some about William Rufus, the son William gave the crown to when he died and left at the start heir Robert Courthouse the Duchy of Normandy. To recreate this you have to make William powerful, choose elective law and give Courthouse the Duchy of Normandy before you die as well as choose William as your vote for heir. There is good info on Odo and Eustace of Boulgone as well. There is also a little about the De Hautvilles and the conquest of Silicy but not a lot. Mostly in reference to some source work and how some historians may have gotten when it was written wrong.
Just started God's War: a new history of the Crusades. by Christopher Tyerman It covers pretty much the entire period and has chapters on the Reconquista, the Albigenisian Crusade against the Cathars, and the Baltic Crusades.
Since you already have a Masters I'm sure you'd be able to look at some primary sources too. Try the Song of Roland, I read it for a crusades course and loved it. While it takes place much earlier it says a lot about the period it was written. Another is the Song of the Cid, started it two months ago and got distracted (blast you CK II!). I enjoyed reading Papal/HRE Bulls of period for the same course as well. If you look up the Maciejowski Bible the images there are absolutely wonderful.
"Put your trust in God, my boys, and keep your powder dry" - Oliver Cromwell
Barbara Tuchman's A Distant Mirror. A great history of the 100 Years War told from the perspective of an important baron (De Coucy, which if you notice is indeed a barony in the Paris county in the game).
It is in the Vermandois-county actually
A good book about the Baltic Crusades is: Eric Christiansen with 'The Northern Crusades'.
Ooops yeah!
It is in the Vermandois-county actually
A good book about the Baltic Crusades is: Eric Christiansen with 'The Northern Crusades'.
Books on medieval topics I have in my collection:
John Julius Norwich - Absolute Monarchs: A History of the Papacy
Juliet R.V. Barker - Agincourt: Henry v and the Battle That Made England
Winston S. Chruchill & Michael Frassetto -The Birth of Britain
Frances Gies & Joseph Gies - Cathedral, Forge, and Waterwheel: Technology and Invention in the Middle Ages
Barbara W. Tuchman - A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous 14th Century
Jack Weatherford - Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World
James Hannam - God’s Philosophers: How the Medieval World Laid the Foundations of Modern Science
Simon Sebag Montefiore - Jerusalem: The Biography
Frances Gies & Joseph Gies - Life in a Medieval City
Frances Gies & Joseph Gies - Life in a Medieval Village
LArs Brownworth - Lost to the West: The Forgotten Byzantine Empire That Rescued Western Civilization
Desmond Seward - The Hundred Years War
Obviously its not 100% centered around the CKII period. But who cares, good books.
The military don't start wars, politicians do.
For historical novels, a couple of Bernard Cornwell's books were of this time period, and he's a very fun writer to read.
Audiobooks > books
I play audiobooks (from www.audible.com) whilst I am playing the game!
Go to www.audible.com and search "crusades" and "medieval", there is a nice selection. Some of the titles named in this thread are offered as audiobook versions. Its so much easier to listen than to read.
He's got the Agincourt book. It's got some good stuff on a baron's court (from the perp's point of view
No one's mentioned Ellis Peters yet? My mod that will cover the Cluniac Order is biased by my time with Brother Cadfael.
Robin Young's series on the Crusades is rather good (but fictional), with a lot of stuff equally on the Templars and KoJ and the Mamelukes. She started a series on the Scottish wars of independence but I have yet to read those.
Works in Progress for CK2:
The Matter of Britain, an Arthurian overhaul for Crusader Kings II.
Expansion #1: Lord of the Manor - Manage Your Demesne ("The Republic" DLC required)
Expansion #2: Courts and Titles - Knighthood, Chivalry, and All That (A "Legacy of Rome" add-on)
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