Incluye referencias bibliográficas (páginas 558-567) e índice.

Boethius and the rise of Europe -- Gregory the Great and the new power of the Franks -- Charlemagne and the first renewal of the Roman Empire -- Consolidation of the kingdoms -- The end of days draws menacingly close -- "The true emperor is the Pope" -- The long century of papal schisms -- The vicar of god -- The triumph of jurisprudence -- The light of reason -- The monarchy -- Waiting for judgment day and the renaissance -- Epilogue: The dark middle ages?

"Beginning with the rise of the Franks, Fried uses individuals to introduce key themes, bringing to life those who have too often been reduced to abstractions of the medieval "monk" or "knight." Milestones encountered in this thousand-year traversal include Europe's political, cultural, and religious renovation under Charlemagne; the Holy Roman Empire under Charles IV, whose court in Prague was patron to crowning cultural achievements; and the series of conflicts between England and France that made up the Hundred Years' War and gave to history the enduringly fascinating Joan of Arc. Broader political and intellectual currents are examined, from the authority of the papacy and impact of the Great Schism, to new theories of monarchy and jurisprudence, to the rise of scholarship and science. The Middle Ages is full of people encountering the unfamiliar, grappling with new ideas, redefining power, and interacting with different societies. Fried gives readers an era of innovation and turbulence, of continuities and discontinuities, but one above all characterized by the vibrant expansion of knowledge and an understanding of the growing complexity of the world."--Descripción del editor.