I'm doing research and I'm trying to learn more about medieval slavery. How did the fall of Rome affect slavery? What was the life of medieval slaves like? How were they different from slaves in the past? What was slavery like in late medieval Europe? How did that tie into the translating slave trade and how people viewed African slaves?
I'd really like some books I could read related to this question. What books could I read pertinent to these questions? And medieval slavery in general?
During the reign of Charles the Great (Charlemagne), multiple wars was waged against the pagan saxons and the slavic peoples of the east. This generated a steady supply of slaves which in turn generated a boom in economic activity, which among other factors contributed to the Carolingian Renaissance.
EDIT: This article sheds some "light" on the subject: "New Light on the 'Dark Ages': How the Slave Trade Fuelled the Carolingian Economy" by Michael McCormick.