The Middle Ages Around the World

By: Joyce E. Salisbury, The Great Courses

Narrated by: Joyce E. Salisbury

The Middle Ages was a time of major historical shifts and transformations. This amazing era reverberates with discoveries, innovations, events, and historical processes that are integral to the world we know now.

In these 24 enthralling lectures, Professor Salisbury leads you on a sumptuous tour of this incredible historical epoch, making clear that the remarkable historical currents and advances of the Middle Ages unfolded not only in the West, but across the globe, from Europe, Africa, and the Middle East to Asia, the Americas, and beyond:

• Expansion, Prosperity, and Networks of Trade. Grasp the advances in technology and agriculture that drove civilizations from Europe to China and map the great trading networks that connected medieval civilizations.
• The Age of Faith. The Middle Ages was an era of vast religious expansion and controversy; witness this in events such as the rise of Islam; the drama and disaster of the Crusades; Buddhism’s spread across Asia; and the internal schisms within Islam, Buddhism, and Christianity.
• Medieval Treasures of Art and Architecture. Explore the triumphs of medieval architecture, from European castles and cathedrals to the sublime religious monuments of Indonesia and Cambodia; delve into the medieval literary epics of heroes and lovers that still move us.
• The Phenomenon of Travel. Visualize the amazing sea voyages of the Vikings and the Polynesians, and travel Asia and the Far East in the company of legendary travelers Marco Polo, Ibn Battuta, and Lady Nijo.
• The Medieval Americas. Study the economies, religions, and monumental architecture of the Maya in Mexico, the Chaco Canyon peoples in North America, the Chimu civilization in Peru, and the forest peoples of the Amazon.

Crossing many cultures, continents, and 1,000 years of history, The Middle Ages Around the World offers you a dazzling journey through an epoch that continues to speak meaningfully to the modern world.

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

©2022 The Great Courses (P)2022 The Teaching Company, LLC

Excellent comparative survey

A thoughtful, thematic approach to the religious, political and social interrelationships on the Eurasian continent from 400-1400CE with a too brief look at Africa, the Americas and Polynesia. Tantalizing and frustrating. Tantalizing because we glimpse what medieval life might have been like. Frustrating because we know there is so much more to understand. Survey courses, especially comparative courses, can only cover so much time and space. We yearn to study the past with unlimited time and a Webb Telescope but must make do with 30 minute snapshots from an earth and time bound observer. Fortunately, Dr. Salisbury has chosen her snapshots well. I'm grateful for the care with which she has guided us through a journey of a thousand years.

What's needed now are more global approaches to understanding the past with more than token references to the great cultures and trade routes of Africa, the Americas and Oceania. Also needed are more in-depth courses on those regions. For example, there are NO Great Courses on African civilizations.

Interesting approach, weird delivery

I like the overview of the Middle Ages as it occurred throughout the world. Obviously there can't be too much detail when you have such a wide scope.

It would be much better if it were narrated by the person that wrote it though. Other courses sound like you're listening to a professor give a lecture, but this woman's odd phrasing and intonation make it sound like she's delivering the evening news. It's harder to retain much information when it's delivered this way.

Good overall

Good content and delivery overall. It is difficult to cover such wide ground and get everything right. It was particularly strange having the professor say, with almost her last words of the course, what fun it is to puzzle through difficult medieval texts and then mention the notoriously unproven slur that scholars debated how many angels dance on the head of a pin as if this was one of the texts she loved reading. When you get something simple and made up like that wrong in what sounds like a personal story, it diminishes the trustworthiness of all else.

OUR DEBT TO THE MIDDLE AGES

Joyce Salisbury succinctly summarized the development of the Middle Ages in this lecture series. In a well organized fashion, she covered events on all of the continents and Island nations. Most studies delve into the life of European serfs and vassals. This presentation tied events through out the whole world. It answers the questions: what was going on in China? the Middle East? the Americas? The delivery style was engaging; I didn’t have a problem staying with it.

Truly World History

I often tire of world history overviews that are VERY Eurocentric. This is thankfully not that. I felt it was an excellent overview that helps give you perspective about the evolution of different civilizations at the same time. She has a conversational style that reminds me of having a chat with your favorite teacher about the topic they are passionate about. Very engaging. Highly recommend.

An Engaging, Challenging Introduction

This set of lectures is for people interested not only in the "Middle Ages," but also in having their preconceptions about the "Middle Ages" challenged. With a well-constructed narrative, and a sharp eye for detail and irony, the presenter surveys about a thousand years of history, all the while removing Europe from the center of the story. The result is challenging, but also accessible, and a pleasure to experience.

It’s about time

Finally someone did a truly global study of an historic period. It’s rare that scholars include China, arguably the most significant and powerful country throughout most of history. And she goes beyond to also include South America, indigenous North America, everywhere. Utterly fascinating and revealing. Now a lot of things make sense.

Great listen!

Very informative, and eye opening. Gave me a new perspective or the Middle Ages! Would recommend to lovers of history!

Down Plays

its very enjoyable but she down plays Islam at this time saying it was spread by merchants and doesn't really acknowledge the conquest of the west and east by the Muslims and doesn't really get into deal how the Christians and Jews were treated under Muslim rule. NO IT WAS NOT PEACEFUL.

Outstaning "Big Picture" course

I was studying the Crusades from the European perspective and this is a wonderful companion course. She provides much needed supplements of things going on in China, Africa, and India at the same time Christianity and Islam were battling each other.