What are poeple reading in 2011?

I have nearly finished The perfect king the life of Edward III, Ian Mortimer

next up is Montaillou, Emmanuel Leroy Ladurie. I have borrowed this from a friend and so it needs to be read sooner rather than later.

The Autumn of the middle ages, Johan Huizinga This wiil get me further back than the 14th century and lead me to who knows where.

Piers Plowman, William Langland Currently struggling a little with the middle English, but finding it fascinating nonetheless

Medieval philosophy, Anthony Kenny This is on order at the moment.

Its always interesting to know what other people are reading

I just finished reading The Friar and the Cipher, Roger Bacon and the Unsolved Mystery of the Most Unusual Manuscript in the World by Lawrence Goldstone and his wife Nancy. It has a popular appeal, but it provides an unusual romp through the 13th century by telling the tale through events in the life of Roger Bacon. The book purports to be about the "mysterious" Voynich manuscript, but that's in the end a minor part of the story. It's a pretty good read, all things considered. If you don't know much about Roger Bacon, this is a fairly painless way to get into it.

I would also like to put a word in for The Medieval World View, an Introduction by William R. Cook. This is a useful overview of many issues involved in a study of the Middle Ages -- a great refresher for those of us who are merely wannabe medievalists. I read it because I have "taken" a few Teaching Company courses taught by him and his teaching partner Ronald Herzman, including the one on Dante and a brand new one on the Cathedral. I could almost hear his voice as I was reading.

I am currently reading Boethius (Great Medieval Thinkers by John Marenbon. I'm on a bit of a Boethius kick just now, partly because of the Consolation of Philosophy but also because I'm intrigued by Boethius' long-lived influence throughout the Middle Ages and beyond through his Aristotle translations, commentaries on aspects of the trivium and quadrivium, etc.

I just finished Guy Halsall's Warfare and Society in the Barbarian West. Right now I'm reading Barbara Rosenwein's A Short History of the Middle Ages. It's pretty basic but I'm at a conf the next 4 days. I can never get heavy reading done at these anyway. Plus I get a lot of requests for suggestions of good intro's.

Once I finish this I'm going to read Ann Marie Yasin's Saints and Church Spaces in the Late Antique Mediterranean. I'm hoping this will be as good as Kim Bowes' Private Worship, Public Values and Religious Change in Late Antiquity which I recently finished. Both discuss archaeological discoveries and show how these indicate that things may have been significantly different than what textual sources have said, particularly regarding Christianity.

3: does Halsall discuss specific campaigns or is it mostly generalities about war and society?

Just picked up and read On the Supreme Good (Mediaeval Sources in Translation) by Boethius of Dacia. John F. Wippel is the editor. I enjoyed it but with one large caveat.

Now, Boethius is considered a Latin Averroist or, according to Steenberghen, heterodox Aristotelian. Whatever... In either case, he really does seem to be putting philosophy ahead of Christianity.

I think Wippel in his Introduction is far too sanguine regarding the possibility (and indeed, the ease!) of reconciliation between Latin Aristotelianism and the Church. I mean a reconciliation back when this confrontation was still a living issue. Today, after the Protestant Revolution, secularization (liberalism, Marxism) and its collapse into postmodernism, things undoubtedly look quite different. The Latin Aristotelians (and yes Virginia, Aquinas himself was indeed numbered among them!) today look quite orthodox. But then? I think that Bishop Tempier (and the theologians who worked with him on the now infamous 'Condemnation of 1277') had his finger on the pulse 'of the times' far more than our editor does.

But how to explain this difference? Easy - Tempier and Wippel have far different fish to fry. Then, it was only pagan/averroistic philosophy that seemed to be denying that Christianity was the Truth. Today, after the protestant reformation, liberalism, marxism and postmodernism, - the philosophy of these so-called 'Averroists' seems more like an ally than an enemy! I enjoyed reading these short pieces and would like to read even more by the so-called 'Latin Averroists' and 'Radical Aristotelianism'.

#2 poquette
The Roger Bacon book looks interesting and I will add it to my "to Get" list along wth the Consolation of Philosophy which is already there. I had a peek at your library, some fascinating stuff; you could get lost in there.

#5 - Anicius Manlius Severinus Boëthius (c. 480–524 or 525), minister to the barbarian Emperor Theodoric, is not the same person as Boethius of Dacia (i.e., Denmark) who was a 13th century philosopher. Totally different cat, but very interesting as well but obviously, for entirely different output.

#6 - Baswood -- thanks for your comment. I've been lost for years!

Wasn't early Christian Aristotileanism about Aristotle's cosmography (the geocentric model of the universe) more than his metaphysics?

#7 Yes, two different guys.

#8 If by 'early Christian Aristotileanism' you mean the fifth or sixth centuries than I must admit I don't know. I am not well read in the Christian thought of those early eras. But certainly, by the thirteenth century, there was much more going on. The hated 'Condemnation of 1277' will give you a good idea of what contemporaries thought was at issue here.

Thanks. I'll look into it.

#4 - It's part of the Warfare and History series and mostly deals in generalities. Mention of specific campaigns/battles is used to illustrate a point or theme, not as a main focus of the book.

11:Rats.... thanks for the info.

I've been getting really into medieval literature the past year or two, and am glad to have found this group! I have some ambitious medieval plans for this year, and will try to share my thoughts as I go.

1: I've got the Huizinga book checked out from the library; thanks for your review, I may try to read it soon.

I recently finished reading the Cantar de Mio Cid and, based on how much I enjoyed it, am planning to read a series of medieval epics this year.

Orlando innamorato by Matteo Boiardo is next, I started it the other day and love it so far. Once I fight my way through that, I'll probably take a break and then move on to Ariosto's Orlando furioso.

I also want to read La chanson de Roland, and bought a copy the other day.

La Araucana is another book that I want to read. I've read very little colonial literature, and this epic about war between Spaniards and Mapuches, written in the second half of the 16th century, seems like a good place to start, based on my interests. I checked it out from the library, and will try to fit it in within the next few months.

And, hopefully, I'll obtain Garci Rodríguez de Montalvo's Amadís de Gaula. Once I've read the stories of Orlando and Amadís, I hope to be able to derive a whole new level of enjoyment from the adventures of Don Quijote.

Besides reading medieval epics, I'm also taking a class on medieval Spanish literature in the evenings, and will be reading the following:

Alan Deyermond's Historia de la literatura española: La Edad Media
Milagros de nuestra señora by Gonzalo Berceo
El libro de buen amor by Juan Ruíz
El conde Lucanor by Don Juan Manuel
Cárcel de amor by Diego de San Pedro
La Celestina by Fernando de Rojas (an old favorite of mine)

I recently finished The Sunne on Splendour and just started The Last Plantagenets. I am definitely open to any suggestions of books that are along these lines.The more Pro Richard III, the better.

#14 - Are you familiar with the Richard III Society? They're not precisely "pro-Richard" but they have a lot of info.

http://www.r3.org/

I'm currently enjoying The Abacus and the Cross: The Story of the Pope Who Brought the Light of Science to the Dark Ages by Nancy Marie Brown.

It's a well-crafted biography that's well worth your time if you're interested in medieval education or the interaction between Christian Europe and Islamic Spain.

I'm reading Empress Matilda: Lady of the English by Marjorie Chibnall.

I just left Scotland in the 1300s with James Douglas and Robert de Bruce ( A Kingdom's Cost by J.R Tomlin) and I am now in the mid 1700s with Kate in A Rose for the Crown by Anne Easter Smith.

I just finished The Art of Memory by Frances Yates reviewed here if you are interested. It covers more than the middle ages, but it provides fascinating insights into the intellectual history of the period.

I was in Orkney recently, so I've been pretty violently PREmedieval in some of my reading 8-)

Mysteries of the Middle Ages by Thomas Cahill. It was enjoyable, but not as much as How the Irish Saved civilization.

Windypoplar, are you typing that with a straight face?

I just finished (again) The seven liberal arts in the middle ages by David Wagner. That is a good one.

I'm reading Western Warfare in the Age of the Crusades by John France. It's quite good, if you're into mil-hist.

Also got a bookmark in Kelly DeVries Joan of Arc, which I should be getting back to.