Global Medieval Contexts 500 – 1500

Kimberly Klimek is Professor of History at Metropolitan State University of Denver, concentrating on medieval women and intellectual history.Pamela Troyer is Emerita Professor of English Literature at Metropolitan State University of Denver, teaching courses involving ancient and medieval mythologies and manuscript culture.Sarah Davis-Secord is Professor of History at the University of New Mexico, specializing in the medieval Mediterranean and cross-cultural exchange.Bryan C. Keene is Professor of Art, Art History, and Theatre at Riverside City College and former Curator of Manuscripts at the Getty Museum, Los Angeles.

Praise for the first edition'The book that many of us have long been waiting for: a collection of materials, generously framed for both instructors and students, for teaching history and culture c. 500–1500 from a global perspective. Rich in comparisons, contrasts, and entanglements, the texts collected here bring the diversity of the past to life for students. Interdisciplinary, engaging, and thoroughly accessible, Global Medieval Contexts connects past to present in illuminating and exciting ways.'Dr Jeffrey J. Cohen, Dean of the Humanities, Arizona State University, USA'Global Medieval Contexts takes us on a breathtaking tour across time and space as it redraws the contours of the medieval world map in a novel way that ties cultures, peoples, and places. It is a stimulating and timely read that points back to the medieval world only to point forward to current issues and debates. Thanks to the global and interdisciplinary aspect of the book, students anywhere in the world can find something to relate to. The book arouses curiosity, raises questions, and changes perspectives. While emphasizing diversity, Global Medieval Contexts emphasizes our basic human sameness.'Dr Sally Abed, Alexandria University, Egypt'Global Medieval Contexts offers instructors and students a rich mosaic of the premodern world, building on thematic strands connecting disparate cultures. Equally comfortable discussing themes and objects, ranging from sails to sculptures, the authors present a range of entry-points for student discussion and analysis. Although the topics have considerable cultural breadth, the underlying global perspective is clear while the writing and framing make them accessible to a range of students, from those enrolled in first-year surveys to more advanced courses specifically on the medieval period.'Dr Edward Schoolman, University of Nevada, USA

• Section 1: Orientation 1. Orientation Section 2: 500–900 2. People of the Book 3. Caravan and Dhow 4. The Sword and the Pen 5. Peasant Nature Section 3: Perspectives 6. Perspectives Section 4: 900–1300 7. Pathways to Paradise 8. For Sale 9. The Price of Security 10. Class Rites Section 5: 1300–1500 11. Devotion 12. Golden Opportunities 13. Boundaries 14. Everyone Believes It Is the End of the World