The tumultuous history of Europe during the Early Middle Ages, told through eighty--five specially commissioned maps and an authoritative narrative.

'This book is Haywood's crowning achievement. It is a delight just to leaf through the pages, feasting on the eye candy ... a beauty to behold ... a useful explanation of how, over the space of 500 years, Europe went from order to chaos and then back to a semblance of order. At a time when Europe is again in flux, this is an interesting and edifying tale about interlopers and the inevitability of change' Sunday Times

Trace the tumultuous history of Europe during the Early Middle Ages through 90 specially commissioned maps and a authoritative narrative.

Medieval Europe remains a mystery to many, yet the relative dearth of information about the period cannot mask its crucial importance in history. Often mischaracterized as a time of darkness and decline, the period from AD 476 to 1000 was marked by turmoil, rebirth and transformation.

From the towering legacy of Constantine to the iron rule of Charlemagne, and the Huns, Goths and Saxons to the Slavs, Franks, Vikings, Rus, Bulgars and Magyars, John Haywood brings to life the dynamic story of how a new Europe emerged from the ashes of the crumbling Roman Empire. We witness the spread of Christianity, the emergence of Islam, the rise and fall of kingdoms, and the birth of the leading nations of modern Europe. This is not a tale of decline, but a saga of endurance, reinvention and remarkable strength.

Details

ISBN13: 9780500029800
Format: Hardback
Number of Pages: 352
Edition:
Publication Date: 24 Feb 2026
Publisher: Thames & Hudson Ltd
Publication City, Country: London, United Kingdom
Dimensions (cm): 24(H)x17(L)1130
Weight (gm): 1130

Author Biography

John Haywood was educated at the universities of Lancaster, Cambridge and Copenhagen. He is an expert on the history of Dark Age Europe, the Vikings and Celts. His authorial credits include Ocean: A History of the Atlantic Before Columbus as well as The Penguin Atlas of the Vikings and The New Atlas of World History, also published by Thames & Hudson.

Reviews

This book is Haywood's crowning achievement. It is a delight just to leaf through the pages, feasting on the eye candy ... a beauty to behold ... a useful explanation of how, over the space of 500 years, Europe went from order to chaos and then back to a semblance of order. At a time when Europe is again in flux, this is an interesting and edifying tale about interlopers and the inevitability of change * Sunday Times *
This beautiful and impressive book fills a major gap in popular understanding of the Middle Ages, and indeed of Western history as a whole. With its brilliant series of maps, it traces the story across Europe and the Mediterranean from the fifth century to the year 1000 * Michael Wood, historian and broadcaster, author of 'In Search of the Dark Ages' *
Fantastic maps, short and varied descriptive chapters, and many detailed illustrations * World History Encyclopaedia *