From the publisher site:

Filled with intrigue, conflict, power struggles, and colorful characters and based on primary source materials Barbara Hanawalt's The European World is an adventure at every turn. From Attila the Hun to Joan of Arc, from the fall of Rome to the Plague this pivotal moment in history comes alive.

The Medieval and Early Modern World tells the colorful story of a pivotal period that is crucial to understanding our own times. The expansion of trade and city life, the spread and reform of religious institutions, the rise of regional empires and local feudal regimes, and revolutionary advances in science and technology laid the foundation for the modern world. Told through the words and experiences of the people who lived it--kings, queens, and commoners, priests and lay people, explorers, scientists, artists, and world travelers--this is a world history for a new generation.