Genesis of modern Europe

This is another great set of lectures by Prof. Madden which illuminates the evolution of the western Roman Empire into something recogniseable as modern day Europe. Besides the fall of Rome, Madden discusses the related issues of the barbarian tribes which took over the empire, Christendom, the Crusades & the Papacy, the rise of England & France as nation states, the new Islamic Arabic Empire and the survival of the Roman Empire in the east. If you want to understand the foundations of modern Europe you need to go further back than the Enlightenment & the Renaissance. And that is just what Madden does here. Lecture titles from the PDF below :

1. The End of an Empire and the Beginning of the World
2. The Empire Strikes Back: Justinian I and the Reconquest of the West
3. Storm in the East: The Rise of Islam
4. The New Masters of Rome: The Popes
5. A New Empire: The Carolingians
6. Devastation Again: The New Invasions of Europe
7. To Reform and Rebuild: The Eleventh-Century Reform Movement
8. The Clash of Church and State: The Investiture Controversy
9. The Crusades
10. Growing Kingdoms: England and France
11. The Rise and Fall of the Papal Monarchy
12. Europe Asunder: The Avignon Papacy and the Great Schism
13. The Hundred Years War
14. Europe Stands Alone: The Fall of Constantinople

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5 people found this helpful

One of the better Modern Scholar courses

I'm a great fan of the Modern Scholar series, and like most of them the content here was excellent. Unlike some of them, this is presented in a very listenable way. A joy to listen to.

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1 person found this helpful

Good source of information

I have listened to several Thomas F.Madden's books. Although they are mostly built as lectures, they are easy to listen and follow. Good source of information whether for a student or just someone who is interested in the respective time period of our history, like me. The Medieval World series cover various areas and are very well presented and informative. Read by the author himself. Might take some time to get used to his voice and rather lecture like presentation style. Listened with delight and attraction. Suggest for widening the history knowledge and understanding.

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2 people found this helpful

Excellent introduction to the period.

What did you like most about The Modern Scholar?

The story is told with accuracy and passion. The reader is lead along to understand the developing period through narrative.

Who was your favorite character and why?

As a History, characters come and go, and while there are thumbnail sketches of individuals, the sweep of the period lets you understand that this is not a story of the lives of great men, but a more considered evaluation of the times.

What does the narrator bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

The natural medium of this text is aural : they are in effect lectures given to a small tutorial. While it would be possible simply to read the text, the nuance of the voice allows you to pick up on connection and inter connections.

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

The lectures are designed more to awaken the mind that excite the emotions.However it does make you think of past decisions that appear to have unexpected results. O tempera ! O Mores !

Any additional comments?

I can thoroughly recommend this lecture series as a good place to start with understanding the medieval period.

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3 people found this helpful