The History of the Medieval World, Susan Wise Bauer
The History of the Medieval World, Susan Wise Bauer
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The History of the Medieval World
From the Conversion of Constantine to the First Crusade

Author: Susan Wise Bauer

Narrator: John Lee

Unabridged: 22 hr 42 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 03/03/2010


Synopsis

From the schism between Rome and Constantinople to the rise of the T'ang Dynasty, from the birth of Muhammad to the crowning of Charlemagne, this erudite book tells the fascinating, often violent story of kings, generals, and the peoples they ruled.

In her earlier work, The History of the Ancient World, Susan Wise Bauer wrote of the rise of kingship based on might. But in the years between the fourth and the twelfth centuries, rulers had to find new justification for their power, and they turned to divine truth or grace to justify political and military action. Right thus replaces might as the engine of empire.

Not just Christianity and Islam but the religions of the Persians and the Germans, and even Buddhism, are pressed into the service of the state. This phenomenon—stretching from the Americas all the way to Japan—changes religion, but it also changes the state.

About Susan Wise Bauer

Susan Wise Bauer is the bestselling author of the Story of the World series for elementary students, The Well-Educated Mind, and The History of the Ancient World, and coauthor of The Well-Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at Home. She is a faculty member in English at the College of William and Mary in Virginia, where she teaches writing and literature.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Jason on May 20, 2010

(Reprinted from the Chicago Center for Literature and Photography [cclapcenter.com:]. I am the original author of this essay, as well as the owner of CCLaP; it is not being reprinted illegally.) It seems sometimes that the older I get, and the more collective information that gets filed into my grey......more

Goodreads review by Bill on March 08, 2010

This is the next book in Bauer's History of the World series, following The History of the Ancient World: From the Earliest Accounts to the Fall of Rome. I gave this 5 stars because I love history, and this is the best historical overview I have read. Bauer's style is accessible and very readable.......more

Goodreads review by Philip on February 02, 2024

Just as enjoyable as the first. I appreciated the worldwide scope of the survey.......more

Goodreads review by Michael on March 21, 2025

This is a very comprehensive story of the kings, emperors, caliphs, and popes in the Middle Ages. So much so, it feels more like a reference book than a story.......more

Goodreads review by Cat on September 13, 2012

First off, this book is very large, as is the topic it covers. It is essentially an overview of the medieval period, from the last days of the Romans, for the main continents across the world – and it is truly fascinating and engrossing. Amazingly, the author achieves their goal very well indeed. Eac......more