Favorite medieval book

[Gilrandir]

After discussing a favorite film , perhaps anyone would care to speak about a favorite medieval book ? (Am I too old-fashioned?) I believe the books can be divided into fiction and non-fiction.
As for the latter I immensely enjoyed "The hundred years war" by Jonathan Sumption . It comes in three volumes ("Trial by battle", "Trial by fire" and "Divided houses"), and covers all the events connected with the war from 1328 to 1399. I think the writer is working on the next one (out of, hopefully, two or three more). He has managed to create a comprehensive picture of medieval society in not only England and France, but also traced their involvement into wars of Iberian kingdoms. Being only perfunctorily aware of medieval war machinery and medieval state-running chemistry, I found out a lot. For examlpe, I always believed that surviving the siege inside a fortress was much more difficult than besieging it from outside. The imagination draws a picture of starved people feasting on dogs and dead horses. But it turned out that the besieged usually had a store enough to last them for quite a time, while the besiegers, bringing a large force to be able to encompass the city, had to rely mostly on what they had brought along in a "food train" or found in the vicinity, and usually abandoned sieges after two or three weeks through having consumed all food within the foraging distance.
As for fiction, I would vote for Henryk Sienkiewicz's "The teutonic knights" and Walter Scott's "Ivanhoe" and "Quentin Durward". Does anyone want to share their preferences?

[edyzmedieval]

Ivanhoe is one of the first books that I've ever read without being forced to (I hated reading till I discovered the magic at 12 years old) and since then it's by far my favourite medieval book.

Teutonic Knights by Mr. Sienkiewicz is also a very good choice, I suggest Taiko by Eiji Yoshikawa for Medieval Japan and Pillars of the Earth for medieval England. There's many others that I've read but those are my favourites. It's endless for me because I love medieval novels.

With regards to nonfiction, the list is as well endless. One of my all time favourites is with regards to 10th century Byzantine military, Sowing the Dragon's Teeth by Eric McGeer. Epic book, it covers all the major military treatises and compendiums up to the 11th century and explains them in great detail. Warren Treadgold's Byzantine works are worth a mention. Osprey books are a good addition whenever you want to read some quick, in depth info.

[Gilrandir]

Forgot to mention "The black arrow" by R. L. Stevenson. As for Scott's books I found them somewhat cumbersome and hard to digest when a kid, but now it is pure enjoyment. Has anyone read "A history of the crusades" by Steven Runciman (category non-fiction)? I'm planning to get this one and wonder is it worth reading?

[cogre]

i liked el cid, how does a good knight deal with a bad king and so on

[PershsNhpios]

I don't know if they really count - but my favourite world when I was younger was the medieval paradise imagined by Brian Jacques in his 'Redwall' series, in which people were replaced by charming mammals with various British and Scottish accents. They were actually my first introduction to a simpler, older lifestyle and to the (somewhat fantasised) medieval period.

I suppose that covers the books I've read which are written by modern fellows fictionally about medieval times.

I prefer more primary sources nowadays, and so I would suggest my favourites to be 'El Canto del Mio Cid', which inspires me greatly, and whose Iberian flavour I cannot help but imitate lightly even when I write small things such as AARs here.
Another favourite of my which I have not yet managed to finish, and which is not quite medieval, is 'El Ingenioso Hidalgo Don Quijote de la Mancha', which I have in a beautiful, full book printed for the Royal Academy in Madrid.

It has inspired me to look for two books which are much closer to being medieval, and which I believe I will also fall in love with; 'Amadis of Gaul', and Cervantes' 'La Galatea'.

[gollum]

Been reading lately "The Wars of Byzantium" by John Haldon - pretty good book with lots of technical information about army organisation,strategy and tactics in all phases of teh Empire from its beginnings to the battle of Myrioncephalon fought by Manuel Comnenos in Anatolia.

[edyzmedieval]

Been reading lately "The Wars of Byzantium" by John Haldon - pretty good book with lots of technical information about army organisation,strategy and tactics in all phases of teh Empire from its beginnings to the battle of Myrioncephalon fought by Manuel Comnenos in Anatolia.

Myriokephalon, you heathen!

Jokes aside, it's a good book, comprehensive and contains lots and lots of useful info. I used it for my Manzikert essay for my diploma alongside Treadgold and a couple of others, and if you manage to read them all you would get a very good idea of how powerful the Byzantine army was and how deplorable it ended up only 100 years later.

[gollum]

Ah yes, sorry for mispelling Μυριοκεφαλον, Edyz :)

[edyzmedieval]

Ah yes, sorry for mispelling Μυριοκεφαλον, Edyz :)

Good one.

[PershsNhpios]

Tsk! Is Meerheeohkefahlon not accentuated? ( )

On the subject of such books as yours Gollum, could either you or Edyz recommend 'Γιατί το Βυζάντιο' by Ελένη Γλύκατζη-Αρβελέρ?

I bought that book in Sydney and it is far beyond my reading level in Greek, but I am nonetheless chafing to start on it and see what it has to tell about Byzantine history and background.

[gollum]

Hello Glenn, i haven't read the book you speak of. I have however read the History of the Empire in 3 vols by John Julious Norwich. While it is popularised history book, and written to be adressed to a western audience, it is very decent and well written as well as based on primary sources and a far more objective point of view towards Byzantium than earlier ones (Edward Gibbon etc). There is also a 1 vol version of the same book that is however far too synoptic to be really enjoyable - choose the long version that fills the gaps and make sense of events described rather than being a dry account of places, name and events.

John Julious Norwich has also written quite a few other books that are worthwhile, one for Mount Athos, the monastic peninsula that was the spiritual and philosophical center of the Empire in the Middle Ages, on the history of the Venetian Republic and on the Seljuk Turks as well as some books on historical architcture in which he was the chief editor.

[Gilrandir]

One more fiction book worth mentioning is Fair Margaret by Henry Rider Haggard. It is not that breathtaking, but pretty solid. It reminds me of Scott's Quentin Durward (similar romantic line).

[I of the Storm]

I have a little, obscure, yet amazing title to add here.
"Die Kinder der Finsternis" (eng.: The Badger of Ghissi) by Wolf von Niebelschütz. This is easily one of the best (if not the best IMHO) german historical novels. It takes place in a little (ficticious) county set between Provence and Spain in the 12th century, featuring all you can wish for: Al-Andalus in all it's cultural richness, southern France and its troubadour culture, love, hate, war, peace, faith, despair...
I don't know about the of the english translation, but the german original is of the highest quality, using a very rich, medieval-esque language (that might take some time getting used to but enhances the experience greatly) - whoever is able to should read the original (*pokes Glenn*)

My 2 cents (actually, it's a pearl, but you don't say that, do you?)

[gaijinalways]

I enjoyed Pillars of the earth, which I read a few years ago. I have heard of "The hundred years war" by Jonathan Sumption with three volumes ("Trial by battle", "Trial by fire" and "Divided houses"), and would like to purchase those. I'll check with one of the teachers I know and see if I can 'borrow' his copies or look to buy them.

[Tirpitz]

As far as non-fiction goes, A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous 14th Century by Barbara Tuchman (author of Guns of August) is a great read for anyone interested in the period. Historically factual novel with just enough narrative flourish to keep the reader engaged.

[Gilrandir]

Has anyone read "A history of the crusades" by Steven Runciman (category non-fiction)? I'm planning to get this one and wonder is it worth reading?

It definitely is!!! It comes in three volumes and deals with Crusade-related history from its inception up to the mid-fifteenth century when the movement petered out. The book is splendid giving ample detail and analysis as well as the medieval charm I enjoy. It involves all the main polities and figures on the European chessboard embroiled in the Crusades. I'm in the middle of the second volume and enjoy it greatly. And some news about "The hundred years war" by Jonathan Sumption. Its volume 4 covering events from 1399 to 1422 is due in 2015 (to commemorate 600th anniversary of Agincourt).

[edyzmedieval]

I want to add Bernard Cornwell's Agincourt and a couple of Osprey titles, particularly the ones that compile the Warrior/Elite and are merged together into bigger books. Good reading on medieval military history.

[Lord Godfrey]

Bernard Cornwell has several great series of historical novels - The Saxon Tales (first book is The Last Kingdom) on Alfred the Great and the Viking Invasion of Britain, The Warlord Chronicle (first book is The Winter King) on the King Aurthur legend, and the Grail Quest (first book is The Archer's Tale) about an English archer during the 100 Years War.

Sharon Kay Penman wrote one of my favorites The Sunne in Splendour about Richard the III and the War of the Roses. She also has a great series on the Plantagenets that begins with When Christ and His Saints Slept

I love finding new authors when they have complete series available since you dont have to wait a year for the next book to come out. Cornwell and Penman have provided me about 5 years of near constant weekend reading. Enjoy.