Medieval Europe by Chris Wickham (review)

In the twenty-first century, medievalists of all stripes continue to find themselves countering the misnomer of the "Dark Ages" and all that mentality implies—from uninformed filmic depictions that rely on stereotypes to journalists' and politicians' descriptions of modern terrorists as "medieval." In recent years, medievalists have also taken intentional steps to address the misappropriation of the Middle Ages by nationalist and white supremacist groups. This author's work contributes to this effort in its departure from a teleological approach to history. In the first chapter, "A New Look at the Middle Ages," Wickham explains that "historical development does not go to; it goes from"(1). In the same chapter, he briefly orients the reader to the history of the word "medieval" and all its baggage. He also justifies the temporal and geographical boundaries of his study—or rather, acknowledges in what ways they are artificial.

Wickham states that the task of his book is to track moments of significant change in the Middle Ages, as well as the structural developments that led to them, in an effort to demonstrate why the medieval period is interesting and relevant in and of itself. To this end, he traces eleven main events in individual chapters that signal major shifts from 500–1500 in Europe. The story begins with the aftermath of the so-called fall of the Roman Empire and its main successor-states: Frankish Gaul, Visigothic Spain, and Lombard Italy. The third chapter recounts the impact of the eastern empire's encounter with Islam in the seventh century. The next documents the Carolingian "experiment," that is, the Carolingian campaign of correctio that would influence politics and religion in Europe for centuries to come. In the fifth chapter, Wickham tracks the gradual Christianizing of the British Isles as well as northern and eastern Europe, a process which was often linked to Roman and/or Carolingian influence. Next, he relates the increase in lordship-based politics to the decentralization of power in the eleventh century. The seventh and eighth chapters describe the population growth, related economic development and urban expansion, and the resulting re-centralizing of religious and political power in the central Middle Ages. Then the ninth chapter turns to the decline of the Byzantine Empire, which was effectively cemented by the Fourth Crusade, followed by a chapter, "Defining society: gender and community in late medieval Europe," which feels like something of an interlude. In it, Wickham refers to Catherine of Siena and Margery of Kempe as examples of "female religious innovation" and suggests that contemporary responses give insight into the social and political complexities of the late Middle Ages, including the Black Death (accounted for in chapter eleven). The book concludes by describing the widening and increasingly public discourse on politics in the late Middle Ages. In sum, Wickham argues that this period should be characterized by its novel widespread political engagement, rather than the crisis, anxiety, or teleological orientation it has so often been ascribed.

The book contains 32 high-quality glossy images—the majority of which are buildings—with explanatory captions. However, Wickham fails even to refer to these images in his narrative—let alone incorporate them, which is a lost opportunity. As it is, the book treats images as so many other works of historical scholarship do: as merely decorative, and somehow self-evident, marginalia. Still, the work is a pleasure to read; it is at once conversational in tone and compelling, while also remaining thoroughly erudite. Wickham addresses several old, untested tropes, making this a valuable resource for scholars seeking to grasp the "big picture" of the Middle Ages; it will certainly win over undergraduate students as a course text, while also proving accessible to a general readership.