Bennett, Judith M. A Medieval Life: Cecelia Penifader of Brigstock, c. 1297–1344. 1998. An excellent brief introduction to all aspects of village life from the perspective of one woman; designed for students.
Epstein, Steven A. An Economic and Social History of Later Medieval Europe, 1000–1500. 2009. Examines European social and economic history in its cultural setting.
Gaunt, Simon, and Sarah Kay, eds. The Troubadours: An Introduction. 1999. A collection of essays that trace the development of troubadour song and the reception of troubadour poetry.
Glick, Leonard B. Abraham’s Heirs: Jews and Christians in Medieval Europe. 1999. Provides information on many aspects of Jewish life and Jewish-Christian relations.
Mews, Constant. Abelard and Heloise. 2005. Examines the lives and ideas of these two thinkers in the context of their times.
Moore, R. I. The First European Revolution: 970–1215. 2000. A bold assessment of the long-term significance of the changes discussed in this chapter.
Pedersen, Olaf. The First Universities: Studium Generale and the Origins of University Education in Europe. 1997. Traces the development of education in Europe from antiquity to the fourteenth century, with attention to the lives of students.
Radding, Charles M., and William W. Clark. Medieval Architecture, Medieval Learning: Builders and Masters in the Age of Romanesque and Gothic. 1992. A valuable survey of the evolution of architectural styles and their relation to broader intellectual and cultural developments.
Shahar, Shulamit. The Fourth Estate: A History of Women in the Middle Ages, 2d ed. 2003. Provides information on the lives of women, including nuns, peasants, noblewomen, and townswomen.
Shinners, John. Medieval Popular Religion, 1000–1500, 2d ed. 2006. A wide variety of sources that provide evidence about the beliefs and practices of ordinary Christians.
Siraisi, Nancy. Medieval and Early Renaissance Medicine: An Introduction to Knowledge and Practice. 1990. The best place to start for information about both the theory and practice of medicine.
Spufford, Peter. Power and Profit: The Merchant in Medieval Europe. 2003. A comprehensive history of medieval commerce, designed for general readers.
DOCUMENTARIES
Inside the Medieval Mind (BBC, 2008). Professor Robert Bartlett of St. Andrew’s University in Scotland examines the ways in which medieval people understood the world, including knowledge systems, religious beliefs, and ideas about sexuality.
Terry Jones’ Medieval Lives (BBC, 2004). Award-winning eight-part documentary series that focuses on the real experiences of certain kinds of medieval people often portrayed stereotypically, including the peasant, the damsel, the minstrel, the knight, and the outlaw.
FEATURE FILMS
Monty Python and the Holy Grail (Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones, 1975). A spoof of the King Arthur legend and a send-up of popular views of many aspects of the Middle Ages (chivalry, dirt, disease, witchcraft). The basis for Eric Idle’s 2005 Tony Award–winning musical Spamalot, and the source of countless pop culture references.
Sorceress (Suzanne Schiffman, 1987). Written by a medieval historian and shot in both French and English, this wonderful film is based on an actual text by a thirteenth-century Dominican friar investigating the cult of Saint Guinefort, the holy greyhound, near Lyons in France. The film addresses issues relating to healing, popular religion, and the role of women.
WEB SITES
Epistolae: Medieval Women’s Letters. A collection of letters to and from women in the Middle Ages, from the fourth to the thirteenth centuries, on a range of topics including religion, diplomacy, family, and politics. Includes both the original Latin and English translations and, where available, information about the writer and the historical context of the letter. epistolae.ccnmtl.columbia.edu/
Index of Medieval Medical Images. Provides access to a huge variety of images related to medicine in the Middle Ages. Most easily used through the “Browse” function, the site includes topics ranging from “Abortion” to “Zodiac.” digital.library.ucla.edu/immi/
TEAMS Middle English Texts. Run by the Consortium for Teaching the Middle Ages (TEAMS), this site provides a well-organized portal into the world of medieval English literature through more than 350 poems, prose narratives, sermons, books of advice, and other works. Each text has an introduction giving the cultural context. www.lib.rochester.edu/camelot/teams/tmsmenu.htm