西洋史の時代区分における中世とは、1450年頃から始まる約1000年のヨーロッパの歴史の年代を指す言葉です。ローマ帝国を起源にヨーロッパに広がり、その商業や情報伝達システムはグローバルなものでした。本書は王から庶民、家族、農業や商業、集団と個人など、社会のあらゆる階層を取り上げ、この時期に起因する複雑な変化が現代の文化や社会にもたらした影響についても検討します。
　　　

• Considers the complex changes the Middle Ages brought on contemporary culture in Europe
• Examines the people and their lifestyles, from kings to the ordinary man
• Looks at the big ideas of the period, including Christian salvation and sacred kingship
• Considers the impact the period on the modern day

 
The Middle Ages is a term coined around 1450 to describe a thousand years of European History. In this Very Short Introduction, Miri Rubin provides an exploration of the variety, change, dynamism, and sheer complexity that the period covers. From the provinces of the Roman Empire, which became Barbarian kingdoms after c.450-650, to the northern and eastern regions that became increasingly integrated into Europe, Rubin explores the emergence of a truly global system of communication, conquest, and trade by the end of the era. 
   
Presenting an insight into the challenges of life in Europe between 500-1500 — at all levels of society — Rubin looks at kingship and family, agriculture and trade, groups and individuals. Conveying the variety of European experiences, while providing a sense of the communication, cooperation, and shared values of the pervasive Christian culture, Rubin looks at the legacies they left behind.
  
  
The Very Short Introductions Podcast: Episode 11 Middle Ages