Turning Points in Medieval History

De: Dorsey Armstrong, The Great Courses

Narrado por: Dorsey Armstrong

For an accurate picture of how the political, social, and religious structure of present-day Europe came to be - and even why we're speaking English today - studying the key events between the years 500 and 1500 is of critical import. These 24 gripping lectures deliver an unparalleled look at these moments that profoundly changed the arc of history, and they weave the era's vast array of disparate events into an interconnected tapestry that illuminates why nothing exists in a vacuum.

Among the events you'll experience: the moment in 711 A.D. when Tariq ibn Zayid conquered Spain and created the unusually tolerant society of Al-Andalus; the 1152 marriage between Eleanor of Aquitaine and Henry Plantagenet, which led to the Hundred Years' War and the War of the Roses; and the composition of Fibonacci's Liber Abaci in 1202, which transformed the medieval world of business, banking, and commerce.

These are just three of the many turning points in the history of medieval Europe that prove the Middle Ages were far from "dark." Throughout these lectures, you'll investigate events, such as the Norman conquest of England in 1066, where the impact was immediate and tangible. In others, like the Great Schism between the Eastern and Western churches, the importance was not recognized for years; some developments had effects so gradual that their significance can only be recognized from the vantage point of history.

Methodical and meticulous in its approach to a labyrinthine age, these lectures will help you understand why the West's transition from the classical to the early modern was a fluid, ongoing process rather than the result of a single pivotal moment.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©2012 The Teaching Company, LLC (P)2012 The Great Courses

Flawless and engaging.

A superb course. Prof. Armstrong makes the middle ages come alive. Like all medievalists, she is defensive about the great leap forward into the Renaissance, so she feels obligated to remind the student every 12 minutes that elements of the breakthroughs of the Renaissance have precursors in The Dark Ages. Nonetheless, her voice is so good that she should have become Siri.

Intriguing and recommended for any history nerd

Wow! 1000 years of history summarized by Professor Armstrong. This wasn’t my first course from her (nor will it be the last). I love how she continuously reminds us of the significance of events to the people at that time (even if it wasn’t a big deal) as well as to the renaissance, enlightenment, and sometimes even present day. I found her lectures on religion and the treatment of Jewish people to be the most fascinating.

great overview

the author does a great job covering some critical moments (and times) in the middle age that shaped it

Interesting and varied

This lecture series looks at a multitude of different kinds of events and processes that shaped history during the European Middle Ages, whether sudden or gradual. It moves across a great deal of time and space but rigorously maintains a theme and cohesion. The lecturer is enthusiastic and pleasant to listen to, although she sometimes comes across a little bit as though reading out loud from a book.
Well worth a listen, or more than one.

Very interesting material. Accessibly presented.

Strongly recommend for those looking for a review type course on this material. Logically laid out and explained well in context.

Great to listen to.

Professor Armstrong is a great lecturer and I wish I was a student in her classes. She makes the topics so interesting and her whole presentation flows together seamlessly. I have bought all her lectures. I highly recommend them all.

Great Professor!

I listen to so many of the great courses lectures and Dorsey Armstrong is by far my favorite! She is enthusiastic about her subjects, knowledgeable and funny when appropriate.

Fantastic!

As always, an organized and well presented collection. Do yourself a favor and listen to her other courses.

This is a great listen, again and again

if I knew history was this awesome I would have paid more attention in school.

Dorsey Armstrong is AMAZING!

A Worthwhile Listen

Considering I've taken a number of courses on European history and the medieval period, I'll admit I went in only interested in a handful of lectures (particularly those that aren't found often in other courses). I came out more impressed with this course than I would've surmised.

Overall the professor is easy to listen to: she is clear, articulate, polished, speaks at a good rate, and avoids highfalutin language which I feel is not what The Great Courses stands for although it can be found in other courses by other professors. Professor Dorsey Armstrong is one of the better presenters I've encountered. My only critical observation is she doesn’t display much personality or passion in her delivery and most of the time seems to always have the same cadence and intonation. Not sure if it is a personality thing or if she was focusing more on ensuring her delivery was clear so I don't want to hold it personally against her but I felt like she was really close to making these lectures entertaining...something that should be a part of the Great Courses experience in addition to learning.


Another big plus: there's content in this lecture series that is not found in other courses. Lecture 7’s Battle of Lechfeld and the “Medieval Warm Period” of Lecture 18 are the first that come to mind. I don't remember any other history course from TGC mentioning battles between Germans and Hungarians in the early Middle Ages!

There is also insight I hadn’t heard before. For example Lecture 18's assertion that a change in weather may have caused Genghis Khan and the Mongols to head back to the Eurasian steppes vs. continuing their conquests westward which may have spared Europe from becoming Muslim which could have lessened the need for sea travel in the age of exploration blew my mind. I had never heard an inkling of such a theory and had to stop listening to contemplate the point.

There were some minuses though. The professor spends too much time at the end of lectures explaining what’s in store in the next one and too much time during the opening of a lecture recounting what was discussed in the last one; A quick point or two would be acceptable but when you’re running one to two minutes in then it begins to feel like that time could’ve been better used to discuss the topic at hand considering the lectures are short enough!

I also felt that Professor Armstrong didn't spend enough time explaining why certain events were chosen as turning points (lectures 10 and 20 come to mind). Even in other cases in which I agreed on the importance of a turning point I think she was a little weak explaining why. She would provide one or two statements as to its impact but in terms that were too general. Would’ve preferred if she teased out the ramifications or “What Ifs” a bit more and maybe provide a specific example or two instead of stating (for example) “this event had great impact on how future medieval people thought of religion and education”. Okay…how?

Her overuse of the word “serendipity” got to me by the second lecture...not good when it would be used over and over again in subsequent ones. I would wonder: is there no other way to say what she is trying to say?

But these minuses hardly affect my overall appreciation of this course. I would recommend it to anyone interested in medieval history because I think it is definitely a worthwhile listen whether you are new to the period or well-versed in it.