Suggested Reading and Media Resources

• Barbero, Allesandro. Charlemagne: Father of a Continent. 2004. A wonderful biography of Charlemagne and study of the times in which he lived that argues for the complexity of his legacy.

• Barford, P. M. The Early Slavs: Culture and Society in Early Medieval Eastern Europe. 2001. An excellent survey of developments in much of eastern Europe.

• Bitel, Lisa. Women in Early Medieval Europe, 400–1100. 2002. Uses literary works and archaeological evidence as well as more traditional sources to trace all aspects of women’s lives: social, intellectual, political, and economic.

• Esposito, John L. Islam: The Straight Path, updated ed. 2004. An informed and balanced work on Islam based on the best modern scholarship and original sources.

• Heather, Peter. Empires and Barbarians: The Fall of Rome and the Birth of Europe. 2010. Evaluates the dynamics of migration and the social, economic, and ethnic interactions that created Europe.

• James, Edward. The Origins of France: From Clovis to the Capetians, 500–1000, 2d ed. 2006. A solid introductory survey of early French history with an emphasis on family relationships.

• McKitterick, Rosamond. Charlemagne: The Formation of a European Identity. 2008. Analyzes Charlemagne’s understanding of his role and methods of rule.

• Reynolds, Susan. Fiefs and Vassals: The Medieval Evidence Reconsidered. 1996. A comprehensive challenge to traditional conceptions of feudalism, the fief, and vassalage that has led to a rethinking of medieval political relationships.

• Riche, Pierre. Daily Life in the World of Charlemagne. Trans. JoAnn McNamara. 1988. A detailed study of many facets of Carolingian society.

• Verhulst, Adriaan. The Carolingian Economy. 2002. A brief survey, designed for students, of all aspects of the Carolingian economy, including agrarian production, crafts, and commerce.

• Watt, W. Montgomery, and Pierre Cachea. A History of Islamic Spain. 2007. A succinct analysis of Islam’s influence on Spain.

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• Wickham, Chris. Framing the Early Middle Ages: Europe and the Mediterranean, 400–800. 2007. A massive, yet accessible, survey of economic and social changes in many regions, with great attention to ordinary people.

• Winroth, Anders. The Age of the Vikings. 2014. Insightful look at all aspects of Viking society: raiding, trade, religion, art, poetry, and life at home in early medieval Scandinavia.

• Wood, Ian. The Merovingian Kingdoms, 450–751. 1994. The best general treatment of the Merovingians.

• Cities of Light: The Rise and Fall of Islamic Spain (PBS, 2007). A documentary focusing on the culture of pluralism in tenth-century Muslim Spain, especially in the city of Córdoba, and its collapse because of internal and external forces. With an accompanying Web site at www.islamicspain.tv.

• The Dark Ages (History Channel, 2007). A blood-and-gore-filled documentary of the violence and instability of the early Middle Ages that also looks at Charlemagne and others as heroic creators of new institutions.

• The Vikings (Nova, 2000). A two-hour special that presents the Vikings as merchants, shipbuilders, artisans, and colonizers, and that re-creates Viking voyages in the Atlantic and eastern Europe using replicas of their ships.

• Beowulf and Grendel (Sturla Gunnarsson, 2005). A version of the Beowulf story with some new plot elements; loaded with violence and shot in the bleak landscape of Iceland.

• The 13th Warrior (John McTiernen, 1999). A fictional retelling of the story of the real tenth-century Arab traveler and writer Ibn Fadlan, who was sent as an ambassador to the king of the Volga Bulgars, at whose court there were eastern Vikings. Based on a novel by Michael Crichton, the film also mixes in stories from Beowulf.

• Internet Medieval Sourcebook. The definitive location for primary sources from the Middle Ages. Most of the texts are in English and are organized chronologically and thematically. www.fordham.edu/halsall/sbook.html

• The Labyrinth: Resources for Medieval Studies. Run by Georgetown University, this site provides free access to electronic resources in medieval studies, which are organized thematically. labyrinth.georgetown.edu

• The Viking Answer Lady. In addition to being fun for Viking enthusiasts and historical re-enactors, this site offers bibliographies, visual materials, links to original texts, and accurate information on a range of topics. www.vikinganswerlady.com/