This volume contains papers by germanists, historians, and art historians on visual and conceptual aspects of early modern city culture ranging from representations of the city to urban spatial and social practices. The essays focus on some of the culturally most vibrant cities in early modern Europe, with special emphasis on German-speaking countries. Topics include the dissemination and control of city images, carnivalizing performances of social/religious...

"Written in the 14th century and enjoying a Swedish national status similar to the English Beowulf, this fascinating tale with many levels of meaning reflects the ideals of politics and aesthetics typical of the age of chivalry. The rhyming verses are accompanied by prose renditions and commentary, making the work enjoyable reading for anyone with an interest in medieval texts. A valuable source for the scholarly disciplines of comparative literature...

A fact-based treasure hunt for the Ark of the Covenant. A fact-based treasure hunt through time... The year 1120 A.D.: Hugues de Payns and eight other men of French high nobility gather in Jerusalem. Their pretense: Guarding the pilgrimage routes after the conquest of Jerusalem by the crusaders. Their real mission: Digging and searching beneath the Temple Mount for a mysterious object. When they return to France in 1128, they own the most dangerous...

An examination of the men, ships, and technology that helped Henry V win one of his greatest victories, the Battle of Agincourt In 1415, Henry V's English invasion force was carried across the Channel by 1500 ships and boats, eventually to fight at Agincourt. Henry V built the Jesus, the first ship of 1000 tons, followed by the Grace Dieu of 1400 tons. Why didn't't the French stop him at sea? Henry V (1413-1422) conquered Normandy and forced the French...

The only book to tell Magna Carta's story through places associated with it, through England and France to the United StatesThe Magna Carta has undergone an extraordinary journey from the palaces and villages of England, through the castles and towns of France, via the Middle East, and ending in the United States today. Along the way, the book dispels the popular notions that King John was an unredeemed tyrant, the baron's champions of civil liberty,...

"Ross Dunn here recounts the great traveler's remarkable career, interpreting it within the cultural and social context of Islamic society and giving the reader both a biography of an extraordinary personality and a study of the hemispheric dimensions of human interchange in medieval times."--

Harold Godwineson, the Last Anglo-Saxon King, owed everything to his father. Who was this Godwine, first Earl of Wessex and known as the Kingmaker? Was he an unscrupulous schemer, using King and Witan to gain power? Or was he the greatest of all Saxon Earls, protector of the English against the hated Normans? The answer depends on who you ask. He was befriended by the Danes, raised up by Canute the Great, given an Earldom and a wife from the highest...

"History comes to life in this interactive guide to the Middle Ages, which explores the fascinating period leading up to the Renaissance-including siege warfare, markets and fairs, medieval medicine, and the feudal system-through numerous hands-on activities. From monastic life and castle living to the Crusades and the Plague, each section provides a vivid glimpse into the daily life of medieval Europeans and ends with one or more fun activities....

"Kids can re-create a long-ago world of kings, castles, jousts, jesters, damsels, magic fairies, and Robin Hood-all they need are their imaginations, materials they can find at home, and the activities in this book. Dressing up in a coat of armor made from plastic milk jugs, whipping up a batch of curds and whey, writing secret messages in invisible ink, and telling time with a sand glass made from soda bottles are just some of the fun projects. Every...

A book about the largest battle ever fought on English soil - the Battle of Towton, one of the key turning points in the Wars of the Roses. .The murderous Wars of the Roses had already seen dukes, earls, lords and thousands of commoners butchered as two branches of the royal family struggled to gain firm control of the crown. The struggle came to a head at Towton, Yorkshire, where Edward Duke of York with 30,000 men faced Henry Duke of Somerset with...