The plunder of the once powerful Rome, which lay in ruins in 410 by the barbarians, marked the end of the previous era and the beginning of a thousand-year deep transformation. In a gripping narrative replete with famous names—from St. Augustine and Attila to the Prophet Muhammad and Eleanor of Aquitaine—Dan Jones explores the history of the Middle Ages and takes readers on a journey through developing Europe, the great capitals of late antiquity, and the influential cities of the Islamic West. The medieval world was shaped by powerful forces that are still relevant today: climate change, pandemics, mass migration and technological revolutions. This was a time when great European nations were being born, the major Western systems of law and government were codified, the Christian Church was becoming a powerful institution and regulator of Western public morality, and art, architecture, philosophical inquiry, and scientific thought were experiencing periods of revolutionary change. The West was rebuilt from the ruins of the Roman Empire and emerged from its crisis to dominate the world. Every sphere of human life and activity has experienced transformation. “We will rush at breakneck speed across centuries and continents. We will meet hundreds of men and women, from the Hun leader Attila to Joan of Arc. And we'll dive headfirst into a dozen different historical branches, from law and military affairs to art and literature. I'm going to ask some important questions - and hopefully I can find answers to them. What happened in the Middle Ages? Who ruled then? What did power look like? What great forces influenced people's lives? How did the Middle Ages shape the world we know today—and is it even possible to ask such a question? At times you may think that all this is too difficult to understand. But I promise it will be interesting.” (Dan Jones)The publishing design is preserved in PDF A4 format.