Hey guys, I’m trying to find books that will help bolster my understanding of Western Europe on the eve of the first crusade. I haven’t done much reading so far, but here is a list of books I’ve read that touch on this topic:
The First Crusade (Asbridge) The Origin of the Idea of Crusade (Erdmann)* The First Crusade (Frankopan)
Books I’m considering reading:
Dominion of God (Whalen) War and the making of Medieval Monastic Culture (Smith) Armies of Heaven (Rubenstein)
Something that I feel is really missing from my cursory knowledge of this period is the rise of Western Europe after the fall of Rome. I’ve attempted reading The Inheritance of Rome (Wickham) and have gotten through the first 100 pages or so but I’m wondering if it’s a bit too advanced, I feel as though I’m not really taking in all of the information in it.
Do you guys have any book recommendations to help edify my knowledge of the following areas in the 11th century?:
Area of modern France Italy Normans Holy Roman Empire *anything else you think may be useful in understanding the first crusade
It might be useful to divide the 11th century into the first half of the century and the later one, since especially the latter, characterized by the big events like the Investiture Contest and the (First) Crusade, can be regarded as a prelude to the coming 'long' 12th century (Cf. Cotts 2013)
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The order of the following recommended booklist is arranged from the easiest (I hope.....) to some intermediate ones, not the most strongly recommend ones, just in case:
(Edited:) corrects many typos, and adds the link to the official sites of the books in their publisher.