"Geary's careful and wise selection of texts in his reader provides the best balance between range and depth necessary for a successful source book." - Nicholas Everett, University of Toronto

"Provides an excellent selection of complete texts or substantial extracts from key primary sources, helpfully grouped thematically and illustrating many current issues in modern historical study." - Rosamond McKitterick, Newnham College, University of Cambridge

Patrick J. Geary's highly acclaimed collection of source materials on the Western medieval world is well known for offering an excellent selection of substantial excerpts – or entire documents wherever possible – from the most widely studied historical texts. This much-anticipated fifth edition features a larger format, as well as enlarged type, to make the collection more reader-friendly. Study questions have been added at the end of each section to help students focus on key points in the text. New documents on the Black Death, William of Rubruck, and Marco Polo are included, as well as a new selection from St. Benedict's Rule for Monasteries and a new translation of Einhard's The Life of Charlemagne. Two color photo sections have been added, introducing students to fascinating medieval art such as a fifth-century ivory from Constantinople, the two earliest images of Joan of Arc, the Sachsenspiegel, and a shirt that belonged to Queen Bathild.

Pilgrimage inspired and shaped the distinct experiences of commoners and nobles, men and women, clergy and laity for over a thousand years. Pilgrimage in the Middle Ages: A Reader is a rich collection of primary sources for the history of Christian pilgrimage in Europe and the Mediterranean world from the fourth through the sixteenth centuries. The collection illustrates the far-reaching significance and consequences of pilgrimage for the culture, society, economics, politics, and spirituality of the Middle Ages. Brett Edward Whalen focuses on sites within Europe and beyond its borders, including the holy places of Jerusalem, and provides documents that shed light upon Eastern Christian, Jewish, and Islamic pilgrimages. The result is an innovative sourcebook that offers a window into broader trends, shifts, and transformations in the Middle Ages.

Patrick J. Geary's highly acclaimed collection of source materials on the medieval period is well-known for offering an excellent selection of substantial excerpts--or whole documents wherever possible--from the most widely studied historical texts. This much-anticipated fifth edition features a larger format, as well as enlarged type, to make the collection more reader-friendly. Study questions have been added at the end of each section to help students focus on key points in the text. Volume II includes new material on the Black Death as well as new readings on Western Europe and the Mongols. A color photo section has been added, introducing students to fascinating medieval art such as the two earliest images of Joan of Arc and the Sachsenspiegel.

This new edition is a marvelous teaching tool and true feast for the intellectually curious. - Daniel Bornstein, Texas A&M University