The Medieval City (Greenwood Guides to Historic Events of the Medieval World)

Editorial Reviews. Review. "Covering the era from the decline of Rome to the end of the The Medieval City (Greenwood Guides to Historic Events of the Medieval World) - Kindle edition by Norman Pounds. Download it once and read it on.
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An introduction to the life of towns and cities in the medieval period, this book shows how medieval towns grew to become important centers of trade and liberty. Beginning with a look at the Roman Empire's urban legacy, the author delves into urban planning or lack thereof; the urban way of life; the church in the city; city government; urban crafts and urban trade, health, wealth, and welfare; and the city in history.

Annotated primary documents like Domesday Book, sketches of street life, and descriptions of fairs and markets bring the period to life, and extended biographical sketches of towns, regions, and city-dwellers provide readers with valuable detail. In addition, 26 maps and illustrations, an annotated bibliography, glossary, and index round out the work. After a long decline in urban life following the fall of the Roman Empire, towns became centers of trade and of liberty during the medieval period.

Here, the author describes how, as Europe stabilized after centuries of strife, commerce and the commercial class grew, and urban areas became an important source of revenue into royal coffers. Towns enjoyed various levels of autonomy, and always provided goods and services unavailable in rural areas. Hazards abounded in towns, though.

Disease, fire, crime and other hazards raised mortality rates in urban environs.

The Medieval City

Designed as an introduction to life of towns and cities in the medieval period, eminent historian Norman Pounds brings to life the many pleasures, rewards, and dangers city-dwellers sought and avoided. Ver todas las apps de lectura gratuitas de Kindle.

Empieza a leer The Medieval City en tu Kindle en menos de un minuto. In addition, 26 maps and illustrations, an annotated bibliography, glossary, and index round out the work.

Publisher Series: Greenwood guides to historic events of the medieval world

After a long decline in urban life following the fall of the Roman Empire, towns became centers of trade and of liberty during the medieval period. Here, the author describes how, as Europe stabilized after centuries of strife, commerce and the commercial class grew, and urban areas became an important source of revenue into royal coffers.

Towns enjoyed various levels of autonomy, and always provided goods and services unavailable in rural areas.

Hazards abounded in towns, though. Disease, fire, crime and other hazards raised mortality rates in urban environs.

Designed as an introduction to life of towns and cities in the medieval period, eminent historian Norman Pounds brings to life the many pleasures, rewards, and dangers city-dwellers sought and avoided. Hardcover , pages. Published December 1st by Greenwood first published April 30th To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.


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This book is not yet featured on Listopia. Feb 04, Nathan Albright rated it it was amazing Shelves: In this book, part of the Greenwood Guides to Historic Events of the Medieval World, medieval historian Norman Pounds takes a broad view of the urban history of the Middle Ages, looking at it from a variety of perspectives and with a fair amount of detail, mostly focusing on the cities of England, France, Italy, Germany, and the Low Countries, but addressing specific examples in other contexts throughout the European world from the fall of the Roman Empire to the early modern period.

For student In this book, part of the Greenwood Guides to Historic Events of the Medieval World, medieval historian Norman Pounds takes a broad view of the urban history of the Middle Ages, looking at it from a variety of perspectives and with a fair amount of detail, mostly focusing on the cities of England, France, Italy, Germany, and the Low Countries, but addressing specific examples in other contexts throughout the European world from the fall of the Roman Empire to the early modern period. For students of urban geography and the history of the Middle Ages, this book provides a worthwhile and fairly short at just over pages account that manages to include enough detail to make it a good picture and enough synthesis and analysis to provide worthwhile general conclusions.

In terms of its contents and structure, after an introduction to the series which has other books that look interesting to read about the Middle Ages, including within North America as well as a preface, the book itself consists of eight chapters.

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The first chapter looks at the origins of the Medieval city in Celtic hill forts or the classical cities of Greco-Roman society, the urban plan in streets and structures, the urban way of life, with its focus on trade, industry, and service, the church in the city, with its cathedrals or chapels-of-convenience, urban crafts and trade, health, wealth, and welfare, and some conclusions about the city in history.

As a whole, this book is a worthwhile resource for those who are interested in the history and geography of cities.

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Overall, this book offers some sound conclusions, even if the author is rather skeptical about the value of tithes and of religious services devoted to the health of souls. The author is far more interested in tangible cultural and economic benefits, from education, to provision of hospitals for the elderly and inform, to the actual material goods that were traded and created by merchants and craftsmen.

The Medieval City : Norman Pounds :

The author takes a rather cynical approach to urban politics during the Middle Ages, pointing out that it was anything but egalitarian, involved a great deal of corruption because of the close ties between guild leaders and city councilmen [1], and the fact that efforts to overturn the elites of cities typically failed. Even so, the author points out that cities only thrived where they had something to offer the larger population, and that the rapacious behavior of many elites tended to harm their wealth, and that contemporary efforts at worldwide free trade spring from the efforts of merchants to have the freedom to trade in the next town.

The author also provides a thoughtful discussion of last names that are attached to various urban trades as evidence of the continuing importance of the medieval bourgeoisie in contemporary society. Jason Aglietti rated it liked it May 26, Jennifer rated it really liked it Apr 18, Tim rated it really liked it Oct 14, MBeach rated it liked it Jun 14, Andrew rated it really liked it Dec 10, Heidi rated it really liked it Jun 23, Steven rated it really liked it Aug 28, Kproch rated it liked it Mar 15, Reyne rated it liked it Apr 17, Leah rated it really liked it Sep 16, Scott marked it as to-read Jan 04, Chuck marked it as to-read Nov 23, Michael added it Jun 19,