Social history sometimes suffers from the reproach that it is vague and general, unable to compete with the attractions of political history either for the student or for the general reader, because of its lack of outstanding personalities. In point of fact there is often as much material for reconstructing the life of some quite ordinary person as there is for writing a history of Robert of Normandy or of Philippa of Hainault; and the lives of ordinary people so reconstructed are, if less...

In this classic of social history, noted medieval scholar Eileen Power recreates the lives of six ordinary people who lived during the Middle Ages. Drawing upon account books, diaries, letters, records, wills, and other authentic historical documents, she brings to vivid life Bodo, a Frankish peasant in the time of Charlemagne; Marco Polo, the well-known Venetian traveler of the 13th century; Madame Eglentyne, Chaucer's prioress in real life; a Parisian housewife of the 14th century; Thoma...

Medieval People By Eileen PowerLanguage English

Every schoolboy knows that the Middle Ages arose on the ruins of the Roman Empire. The decline of Rome preceded and in some ways prepared the rise of the kingdoms and cultures which composed the medieval system. Yet in spite of the self-evident truth of this historical preposition we know little about life and thought in the watershed years when Europe was ceasing to be Roman but was not yet medieval. We do not know how it felt to watch the decline of Rome; we do not even know whether the ...

Eileen Power's "Medieval English Nunneries c. 1275 to 1535" offers a groundbreaking exploration of the socio-economic and spiritual lives of English nuns during a transformative period in medieval history. Power meticulously examines a wealth of primary sources, blending rigorous historical analysis with vivid narrative flair, to illuminate the complex roles that nunneries played in their communities. Through her discerning lens, she captures the tensions between monastic life and the encr...

Medieval English Nunneries c. 1275 to 1535 is a landmark study of English convents from the high Middle Ages to the eve of the Dissolution. Power reconstructs endowment, governance, recruitment, discipline, education, and devotion through close readings of account rolls, episcopal visitations, charters, and royal and papal records. In lucid, restrained prose, she places Benedictine, Cistercian, and Augustinian houses within the currents of late medieval reform, local society, and debates o...

The Complete Works of Eileen PowerEileen Edna Le Poer Power was a British economic historian and medievalist.This collection includes the following:Medieval English Nunneries c. 1275 to 1535Medieval People

In this classic of social history, noted medieval scholar Eileen Power recreates the lives of six ordinary people who lived during the Middle Ages. Drawing upon account books, diaries, letters, records, wills, and other authentic historical documents, she brings to vivid life Bodo, a Frankish peasant in the time of Charlemagne; Marco Polo, the well-known Venetian traveler of the 13th century; Madame Eglentyne, Chaucer's prioress in real life; a Parisian housewife of the 14th century; Thoma...

Of all the activities of the most neglected century in English History, England's trade has received the least attention in proportion to its importance. It was obviously in the course of the later Middle Ages, and more particularly in the fifteenth century, that there took place the great transformation from medieval England, isolated and intensely local, to the England of the Tudor and Stuart age, with its world-wide connections and imperial designs. It was during the same period that mo...

In this classic of social history, the author describes the lives of five lesser-known men and women of the Middle Ages, as well as one famous one. She draws on account books, records, letters, diaries, and wills to make the life of those times as concrete and comprehensible as our own. There are full-length portraits of Bodo, a Frankish peasant in the time of Charlemagne; Marco Polo, the celebrated Venetian traveler—only one of many—of the thirteenth century; Madame Eglentyne, the priores...

The pinnacle of Gardner's medieval scholarship: a fascinating re-creation of the world of one of history's greatest writersIn this exquisite biography, John Gardner brings to life Geoffrey Chaucer, illuminating his writings and their inspiration like never before. Through exhaustive research and expert storytelling, Gardner takes readers through Chaucer's varied career—from writing The Canterbury Tales to performing diplomatic work at the Parliament—and cr...

Classic historic biography of Henry VIII the King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King of Ireland and claimant to the Kingdom of France. Henry was the second monarch of the House of Tudor, succeeding his father, Henry VII.Besides his six marriages, Henry VIII is known for his role in the separation of the Church of England from the Roman Catholic Church). Henry's struggles with Rome led to the separation of the Church of England from papal authority, t...