The Serf, the Knight, and the Historian

by Dominique Barthélemy

Book Overview

"The term 'feudal society' is a caricature. It was invented by nineteenth-century historians to capture a particular period in French history, that of the retreat of monarchy (and thus of state authority) and the supposed tyranny of fiefdoms. It had its uses. As caricatures go, it was no worse than many others. But it was both reductionist and unbalanced. Among other things, it reduced society to bonds of dependency that were ritualized and personalized,...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0801475600
• ISBN13: 9780801475603
• Release Date: February 2009
• Publisher: Cornell University Press
• Length: 368 Pages
• Weight: 1.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.5" x 9.2"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher