The Birth of Europe - (Making of Europe) by Jacques Le Goff (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

In this ground-breaking new study, Jacques Le Goff, arguably the leading medievalist of his generation, presents his view of the primacy of the Middle Ages in the development of European history.

• "[A] superb and necessary book. This provocative assessment from a lifetime of scholarship might help us to place ourselves, not just territorially, but in that other precious element of history: time."
  --The Guardian
• "A book that never fails to be informative, readable and provocative. Le Goff... has been the bravest and best of champions for medieval history. This book... is in every sense an inspiration."
  --BBC History Magazine
• Praised by prominent figures in Europe and history including: Rt Hon Christopher Patten, CH, Former Member of the European Commission, and Neil Kinnock, Vice-President, European Commission.

From the Back Cover

In this ground-breaking book, the great French historian Jacques Le Goff tells the story of the key events and ideas that shaped the Middle Ages. His overview ranges widely, from the Fall of Rome to the Discovery of the Americas, and from Ireland to the Black Sea.

In clear, concise language, the author presents his personal view of the importance of the Middle Ages and its lasting legacy to Europe. He contends that it was in the Middle Ages that many of the institutions and beliefs we consider to be "European" were defined and developed for the first time: ideas about a common Christian society, public spaces, courtship, and marriage.

The Birth of Europe presents the historical facts and events that shaped the period, but also the formation of attitudes and concepts of a European "dream". The Middle Ages manifested the combination of diversity and unity present in Europe today: the mixing of populations, West-East and North-South oppositions, but above all the unifying role of culture.

The book is an ideal introduction to the medieval world for students, as well as anyone interested in how "Europe" was born.

Review Quotes

"Recommended ... .Illustrate[s] the continuing differences on how scholars treat the past, differences found among early modern scholars as well as medievalists." (Sixteenth Century Journal, Summer 2009)

"A book that never fails to be informative, readable and provocative. [Le Goff] has been the bravest and best of champions for medieval history. This book, written by its author at the age of 80, is in every sense an inspiration." (BBC History Magazine)

"[A] superb and necessary book. This provocative assessment from a lifetime of scholarship might help us to place ourselves, not just territorially, but in that other precious element of history: time." (The Guardian)

"Le Goff authoritatively traces the initial development of virtually all aspects of modern society." (The Morning Star)

"A fine survey of medieval Europe that will benefit both specialists and non-specialists alike." (History: Reviews of New Books)

"Le Goff's book not only embodies his long-term project of a new political history but is a politically engaged history in the most valuable sense: it should be on the compulsory reading list of politicians everywhere." (Reviews in History)

About the Author

Jacques Le Goff is Professor of History at L'École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales in Paris. He is among France's "great" historians, and is considered internationally to be one of the foremost scholars of his generation. He has written widely on medieval history, and his books include Medieval Civilization (Blackwell, 1990), Intellectuals and the Middle Ages (Blackwell, 1993), and The Medieval World (1997).