Medieval Europe. From the Fall of Rome to the Reformation

The millennium that passed from the fall of the Roman Empire to the beginning of the Reformation was filled with transformations, and therefore it is not easy to describe it within the framework of a single book. Nevertheless, British historian Chris Wickham took on this challenge. He presents the Middle Ages as a dynamic period of large-scale changes, focusing on such landmark events as the fall of Rome, the reforms of Charlemagne, the spread of Christianity in Europe, the decline of the Byzantine Empire, the epidemics of the Black Death, etc. By analyzing them, the author explains what changes they caused in the social, economic, and political spheres, as well as in the private lives of people. Before the reader's eyes unfolds a panoramic picture of the life of states and cities of medieval Europe, featuring a gallery of images of emperors, kings, church figures, knights, peasants, and merchants. This information-rich and engagingly written analytical work will be of interest to both specialists and those who are approaching the medieval period for the first time.