The High Middle Ages, Prof. Philip Daileader,
(24 Lectures / 30 Minutes Per Lecture /  4x DVD - The Great Courses)
 
The first half of the course focuses on the "Great Expansion" of Europe, detailing how a period of warming climate and agricultural innovation led to a massive population boom and the rebirth of cities. Professor Daileader explains the rise of the Three Orders of society—those who work, those who fight, and those who pray—and explores the transformation of the knightly class into the world of chivalry. He provides a balanced look at the religious fervor of the era, covering the origins and impact of the Crusades, the reform of the Papacy under figures like Gregory VII, and the rise of powerful new monastic orders that sought to purify Christian life.

The second half of the series examines the intellectual and political structures that defined the peak of medieval culture. Daileader dives into the "Twelfth-Century Renaissance," highlighting the birth of the University and the emergence of Scholasticism through thinkers like Thomas Aquinas. He also tracks the growth of centralized monarchies in England and France, discussing the significance of the Magna Carta and the reign of Louis IX. The course concludes by looking at the "Limits of Expansion," showing how the very successes of the High Middle Ages created the pressures and complexities that would eventually lead to the crises of the fourteenth century.
 
Enhance your collection with a resource that bridges the past and the present, reflecting the essence of Book Archaeology’s passion for education and history.