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.

Author Biography

Jacques Le Goff is Professor of History at L?Ecole des Hautes Etudes 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).