The Modern Scholar: The Medieval World, Part II: Society, Economy, and Culture

By: Thomas Madden Prof.

Narrated by: Thomas Madden

An award-winning, widely recognized expert on pre-modern history, Professor Thomas F. Madden concludes this two-part series on the medieval world. In this course, we will see the error of the commonly held assumption that the "Dark Ages" was a time of superstition, ignorance, and violence.

Rather than a time of darkness, the Middle Ages saw extraordinary innovation, invention, and cultural vitality. It was the Middle Ages that gave us universities, vernacular literature, and the extraordinary beauty of Gothic architecture.

To study the medieval world, then, is not only to study a time that has passed away. It is to study the birth of a new culture that would mature into the modern West. Whether we know it or not, the world we live in today is itself the product of the Middle Ages - not "Dark," but remarkably bright.

Download the accompanying reference guide.©2009 Thomas Madden (P)2009 Recorded Books

A Portrait of a Vibrant Time

Professor Madden asserts – and then goes on to illustrate – that the Medieval world, so far from the caricature bequeathed to us by Enlightenment hubris and disdain, was a time of innovation, speculation, experiment and progress. These great strides were only brought to a shuddering standstill by the disaster of the Black Death.

Perhaps my favorite lecture here is the one covering the rise (literally) of Gothic architecture. Alas, we only call it Gothic because the philisophes considered the style barbaric – like the Goths.

True, Professor Madden is not the most stimulating presenter. But the material and the points he makes are well worth a little patience.

Another great lecture

I am a keen journeyman in history and I have gained some very important information from this lecture. Although I think too much importance have been given to black death and not enough to the Byzantine Empire but that's a personal opinion. If you have the pt 1, this companion course makes it complete.

Engaging discussion of Medieval society and life

Professor Madden is one of my favorite lecturers, so I was expecting to like this, but I think it exceeded my expectations. I appreciate his calm delivery and I enjoyed a deeper look at social and cultural history of the Middle Ages. Highly recommended if you like history lectures, like the Great Courses.

Good content, unenthusiastic delivery

The scholar stammers, searches for words, and doesn't use voice inflection to the benefit of the reader; nevertheless, the content is spot on. If one is interested in a low brow introduction to life in the middle ages, I'd recommend Ken Follett's "Pillars of the Earth" as these Medieval principles are acted out in a compelling narrative, albeit with gratuitous adult content.