The Making of Europe - by Robert Bartlett (Paperback)

About the Book

This provocative book shows that Europe in the Middle Ages was as much a product of a process of conquest and colonization as it was later a colonizer. "Will be of great interest to. . . . (those) interested in cultural transformation, colonialism, racism, the Crusades, or holy wars in general. . . ".--William C. Jordan, Princeton University. 12 halftones, 12 maps, 6 diagrams.

Book Synopsis

From our twentieth-century perspective, we tend to think of the Europe of the past as a colonizer, a series of empires that conquered lands beyond their borders and forced European cultural values on other peoples. This provocative book shows that Europe in the Middle Ages was as much a product of a process of conquest and colonization as it was later a colonizer.

Review Quotes

". . . a useful and illuminating book, marked by breadth of outlook, impressive erudition, and a convincing discussion of the principal forces contributing to the "making of Europe" between the tenth and the fourteenth centuries.""-- "Journal of Interdisciplinary History"

"The Making of Europe is an important book. . . . This excellent discussion of medieval colonial expansion is much overdue. . . . [It] goes a long way toward understanding what is meant by the European mindset and sheds some light on why this mindset spread into the far corners of the globe.""---Madelyn B. Dick, History: Reviews of New Books

"An absolutely first-rate book.... Bartlett has elucidated the making not only of Europe but of our own country and of the modern world as a whole."---Roger Draper, The New Leader

"Bartlett amasses a wealth of documentation and, unlike other authors, he weaves a rich tapestry of colourful incidents, personalities, and contemporary comment.... A masterful survey of the forces that shaped the West."---Theodore K. Rabb, The Times Literary Supplement

"Essential reading for anyone who wishes to understand the problems of Europe today."---Keith Thomas, Guardian

"One of Choice's Outstanding Academic Titles for 1993"

"The most stimulating and well-written reassessment of medieval Europe that has appeared for many years."---Eric Christiansen, The New York Review of Books

About the Author

Robert Bartlett is Professor of Medieval History at the University of St. Andrews, Scotland. He is the author of Gerald of Wales, 1146-1223 and Trial by Fire and Water.