Description
By Marion Florence Lansing. Enter the formative centuries of the Middle Ages, when the old Roman world gave way to new peoples, kingdoms, and nations across Europe.
In Barbarian and Noble, Marion Florence Lansing gathers stories from the early Middle Ages, a period when Europe became the meeting place of many peoples and tribes that would later help form the nations of the modern world. Beginning with the decline of the Roman Empire, the book follows the movement of peoples and the gradual emergence of a new European order.
Through accounts of Alaric, Attila, Charlemagne, Alfred the Great, the Vikings, and other figures of the period, Lansing presents both famous events and scenes from everyday medieval life. Rulers, warriors, missionaries, scholars, and explorers appear throughout the book, showing how the world of late antiquity slowly developed into the civilization of the Middle Ages.
A central idea runs through these stories: the barbarian of one age may become the noble of the next. Peoples once viewed as uncivilized established kingdoms, adopted new laws and beliefs, and eventually defended their societies against later invaders. Lansing uses this recurring pattern to connect the conflicts and achievements of the early Middle Ages with the development of modern Europe.
Written especially for younger readers, Barbarian and Noble combines historical accounts with elements of saga, legend, and biography. It is the first volume in Lansing’s Mediaeval Builders of the Modern World series, which traces the contributions of the Middle Ages through the people and events that shaped the period.
This carefully restored edition preserves Lansing’s historical stories together with the original illustrations.
About the author: Marion Florence Lansing was an American author of historical and educational books for younger readers. Her works include the six-volume Mediaeval Builders of the Modern World series, which presents the history, notable figures, and cultural development of the Middle Ages through connected stories.
