Summary
A landmark three-volume reference, Handbook to Life in the Medieval World looks at the medieval period from the perspective of Christians, Jews, and Muslims who inherited and inhabited the classical Roman Empire, which stretched from the British Isles through Continental Europe, the Mediterranean, North Africa, the Middle East, Asia Minor, and beyond. Treating together the history, culture, economy, and societies of these three civilizations allows us to see clearly how closely intertwined their lives were, even at times of intense conflict and enmity.
Life in the medieval world differed markedly for Christians, Jews, and Muslims, and surprising examples of interrelationships among these three cultural groups are best understood by studying these differences. In the years between 500 and 1500, each of these three cultures created admirable works, but few modern books provide adequate information on any but the Christian culture of the Middle Ages. Following the classic format of the Handbook to Life series, this unique set offers a comprehensive reference to the history, society, economy, warfare, science, philosophy, religion, culture, and everyday life of the medieval world.
Chapters include:
- Art and Architecture
- Clothing and Textiles
- Economy and Trade
- History
- Holidays and Festivals
- Literature
- Medicine, Science, and Technology
- Music and Dance
- Mysticism and Magic
- Philosophy and Religion
- Society
- Warfare and Weapons.
Each chapter includes an extensive bibliography, and more than 140 original line drawings, photographs, and maps complement the text.
Specifications
Black-and-white photographs, illustrations, and maps. Index. Bibliography. Timeline. In three volumes.
About the Author(s)
An attorney, medical law expert, and professional medievalist, the late Madeleine Pelner Cosman has published several books on medieval and medical-legal subjects, including Women at Work in Medieval Europe and Medieval Wordbook, both for Facts On File. She served for 28 years as professor and director of the Institute for Medieval and Renaissance Studies at the City College of New York, City University of New York.
Linda Gale Jones is a research professor in the Department of Arabic Philology at the University of Barcelona, Spain. She holds a Ph.D. in religious studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and an M.A. in Arabic and Islamic Studies from the University of California, Berkeley. Jones has numerous articles to her credit and has taught at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and the Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona, Spain.