1. Introduction; 2. Europe in 1300: the political inheritance; 3. The fourteenth century; 4. The fifteenth century; 5. Conclusion; Bibliographical notes.
This book is a major survey of political life in late medieval Europe.
John Watts is a Fellow and Tutor in History, Corpus Christi College, Oxford. His previous publications include Henry VI and the Politics of Kingship (1996) and, as editor, Power and Identity in the Middle Ages (2007).
'This is a work of genuine importance, excellently constructed and
rigorously thought out, combining accessibility with great
originality. It is a wise, mature, thought-provoking book. This
book injects new life into the study of late medieval politics; it
offers a highly stimulating and easily accessible overview of
political conduct in the late Middle Ages; it is rich in new ideas
and will be a fundamental point of reference for future discussion
of the politics of the period.' David Abulafia, University of
Cambridge
'An impressively scholarly, substantive and lucid volume, which
combines original and challenging analysis with a wealth of
information.' Medium Aevum
'Watts's book is a remarkable feat. It essays a reinterpretation of
late medieval western European history which is far more than a
work of synthesis … It is courageous, original, and
thought-provoking. It demonstrates the inadequacies of all the
current conventional assumptions, and is to be welcomed for putting
politics and ideas back at centre stage. Despite the title of the
series in which it is published, this is much more than a
textbook.' George Garnett, English Historical Review
'… very convincing book … develops a truly superb narrative, thanks
to the European perspective.' Karl Ubl, translated from Historische
Zeitschrift
'… a stimulating overview, which should rapidly become a work of
reference.' Vincent Challet, translated from Cahiers de Recherches
Médiévales et Humanistes
'… succeeds with clarity and originality in its declared intention
of reinterpreting and reassembling all the pieces of the puzzle in
a coherent whole which is greater than the sum of its parts.'
Isabella Lazzarini, translated from Storica
'… an important new synthesis of late medieval politics and
political culture: one that offers a strong and clear argument,
both substantive and methodological; one that moves away from a
focus on the nation-state and the large Western kingdoms; and one
that succeeds in drawing out the parallels and commonalities that
give the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries across the entire
continent of Europe unity, logic, and direction.' Adam Kosto, The
Medieval Review
'… an interesting analysis … The book is particularly refreshing …'
Speculum
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