Medieval Europe: Crisis and Renewal

By: Teofilo F. Ruiz, The Great Courses

Narrated by: Teofilo F. Ruiz

The Middle Ages harshly tested every aspect of human perseverance, imagination, and survival. Living conditions were squalid for almost everyone except the ruling elite, and most of the riches of Western culture were preserved in monasteries and on other continents. And into this setting came widespread famines, prolonged wars, and plagues that marked Europe's late medieval period as one of the most harrowing in recorded history. But Europe was not broken by these crises. Instead, it renewed itself and spawned fundamental artistic, religious, romantic, and political ideas that continue to shape our world to this day. This series of 16 engrossing lectures transports you to 14th-century Europe to experience a hero's tale of cultural trial, suffering, and triumph. It guides you through 200 years of stunning transformations in how people viewed themselves, how they worshiped, and their relationship to land and country, addressing key concepts that include national boundaries, church-state separation, individuality, and sovereignty - all of which find root in the medieval world.

The series is divided into three main sections that provide you a framework for understanding medieval society through detailed descriptions of what life was like for peasants, merchants, and monarchs; show you how this rigid but well-entrenched social structure was shaken to the core by crises like the Hundred Years War and the Black Death, and let you experience the glorious renewal that followed, including the spread of Renaissance ideas and styles; the creation of the modern nation in Castile, France, and England; the "rediscovery" of Plato, and the far-reaching voyages of discovery.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©1996 The Teaching Company, LLC (P)1996 The Great Courses

Informative and Intresting

I loved this lecture. It did drag for me a bit only because of how in depth it was. Which is a good thing. I'd consider myself a middle ages efficenato and have been reading up on the time period for going on a decade. There were things I've never heard before, because they were things about the period I personally wasn't interested in the time period but if someone wants a nice all around picture looking more into how people lived then how they died I couldn't reccomend this enough. It is strongly focused on Italy in particular which is also not a normal location of study for me when I'm reading up on the medieval era.

But the narrator is fair never seeming too biased and revealing any he may have. I also love his accent and can't recommend this enough to anyone interested in the subject material. Great read for my lunch break and after class.

Extraordinary course

One of the very best courses. Professor Ruiz brings to light an era that is foreign to us today but also is critical to understanding our roots and transition from Mediterranean to Atlantic culture. Lectures are organized and insightful. I will listen to other courses by Professor Ruiz and will look for his books. Yeah, his accent is a slight challenge but the rewards are well worth the small extra effort for a listener. Five stars*

Excellent Course & Presentation

What did you love best about Medieval Europe: Crisis and Renewal?

The lecturer.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Medieval Europe: Crisis and Renewal?

The story about the boy who wanted a girl (geese). The lectures on romantic love.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The blending of high and popular culture. The end of the conclusion. I did not want the lecture to end and wished for more.

Any additional comments?

This lecture changed my life by virtue of expanding my perspective and helping me "tie down" old and hazy ideas that I've had since college and law school. I wish I were younger and a history student at UCLA. I especially liked his lecturing style. I liked that he was not afraid to think out loud. By this not only did he provide the idea but also the road map to it. Because of this, I got way more out of the lecture. He lectures like a grown up. Trust me, I speak in public for a living and this is rare quality indeed. He is a wise man and great and engaging lecturer.

Outstanding lectures and professor...

I really enjoyed these series of lectures on the middle ages. Professor Teofilo Ruiz is an engaging and exceptional teacher. I would highly recommend this to anyone.

I love his accent

And his sense of humor. So it’s Saturday night, and this is what I do to unwind. I listen to Profesor TEO tell me about the Middle Ages with my feet up and an occasional cup of cocoa. And I play Spider Solitaire. I am exquisitely happy. Thanks Audible, for making nights like these possible.

Interesting, But Comes Across as Pushy

Mr. Ruiz definitely has a lot of knowledge about the time period and especially the place he talks about here. He can seem rather pushy though. Perhaps part of that is his accent and apparent lack of a full grasp of English. There were times when he would make a statement and then in his tripping over the English language would correct or even negate his initial statement. It was distracting and to a certain degree annoying because I think they were mostly because he was trying so hard to talk as fast in English as he can in Spanish. He did give many great insights and I particularly enjoyed that he went beyond 1300 which is were most of the other professors in this series stopped. That really gave a better understanding about how all the events influenced and shaped later times.

A great course!

I loved listening to this course! The teacher is excellent, and it's a fascinating topic. It's not just the usual wars and conquerors, although this is included, but all spheres of society. Dr. Ruiz talks a lot about the philosophies and beliefs of the people living in this particular place and time. This is what makes the class so interesting!

You will enjoy anything from the teaching company

Clear, concise and all-emcompassing overview of European history; brilliantly told, showcased and a real treat to listen to.

new favorite professor

I re-discovered Prof. Ruiz through his lectures at Context, and followed back to Audible to listen to this series. He is an amazing thinker and lecturer and I loved all the connections that he made in these presentations. I listened to some of the segments more than once, and look forward to listening again in the future.

I'm surprised about the critical comments about his accent. I didn't have any troubles understanding and I thought he had a lovely speaking voice.

I will say that I'm not sure this is the first Great Courses I would listen to for the Middle Ages. I would start with Prof. Daileader's three part series to get a working knowledge of the events, people,, etc. if you (or a homeschooling student) is new to the topic. If you are already interested and somewhat familiar, then this is superb.

Greatest medieval textbook

Chris Wickham is one of the great historians of our age and in this book he does Magic by telling Middle Ages with new research in depth and yet keeping it short my students say that it difficult and I agree but only because he’s tackling 1000 years! if it wasn’t difficult, it would be false.