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This essay discusses the historiography of Western medieval political thought, as reflected in "Il pensiero politico medievale" by Gianluca Briguglia and "Il potere al plurale: un profilo di storia del pensiero politico medievale" by Roberto Lambertini and Mario Conetti. These two volumes propose vastly different approaches to the topic both in terms of chronology and focus, the first focusing mainly on texts, the other primarily on practices and institutions. Read in conjunction with one another, these books testify to the complexities involved in conceptualizing the emergence and development of political ideas in Europe between the fall of the Roman Empire in the West and the era of the Renaissance and the Reformation.

What is the current state of discussion in Cultural History? Which European institutions engage exclusively in Cultural History and which topics do they address? And how will Cultural History develop in the future? These and other questions are raised by European scholars in the discussion of Institutions, Themes and Perspectives of Cultural History in this volume. It provides a profound overview of contemporary developments in Scandinavia, Finland, Great Britain, Latvia, Poland, Hungary, Austria, Switzerland, Germany, Italy and Spain.

The subject of technology, it has long been agreed, is of vital interest to the economic historian, as well as to the historian of science. the latter connection my ignorance is such that I can do no more than make a few hesitant observations, largely inspired by a very competent adviser. In the former connection I should presumably speak with greater assurance, because my own research for a good many years has been concerned with medieval society. But with regard the difficult problem of technological advance and its significance, must confess that I can ask many more questions than I can answer—as will be seen from what follows. Such questions must be faced by anyone who considers history more than an antiquarian hobby. For what phase of historical investigation can be more important than the development of the industrial society in which we live ? Precisely where is taking mankind nobody knows. We historians—medievalists and others—must at least remark its novelty and try better to understand it by explaining its origins.

Preface / David Durand-Guédy, Roy P. Mottahedeh and Jürgen Paul -- Cities in medieval Iran : a review of recent publications / Jürgen Paul -- Jean Aubin's article "Elements for the study of urban agglomerations in medieval Iran" in context / translation and introduction by J. Paul -- Iranian cities : settlements and water management from antiquity to the Islamic period / Rocco Rante -- "From Shahristān to Medina" revisited / Donald Whitcomb -- Why Nishapur? / Richard W. Bulliet -- Inherited landscapes in Muslim Bactra / Etienne de la Vaissière -- Among saints and poets : the spiritual topography of medieval Shiraz / Denise Aigle -- The fortified landscape of Isfahan / Ali Shojaee Esfahani -- Yazd : a "good and noble city" and an "abode of worship" / Jamsheed K. Choksy -- Isfahan during the Turko-Mongol period (11th-15th Centuries) / David Durand-Guédy -- Balkh, from the Seljuqs to the Mongol invasion / Jürgen Paul -- Local elites and dynastic succession : Tabriz prior to, under and following Mongol rule (sixth/twelfth to ninth/fifteenth centuries) / Daniel Zakrzewski -- Medieval Kashan : crossroads of commerce and culture / Mehrdad Amanat and Roy P. Mottahedeh -- The history of Iranian cities through their books : what Ms. Köprülü 01589 tells us about 8th/14th century Shiraz / Sarah Bowen Savant and Majid Montazer Mahdi -- Medieval lexicography on Arabic and Persian terms for city and countryside / Roy P. Mottahedeh.

Dr Vlasto reviews the early history of the various Slav peoples (from about AD 500 onwards) and traces their gradual emergence as Christian states within the framework of either West or East European culture. Special attention is paid to the political and cultural rivalry between East and West for the allegiance of certain Slav peoples, and to the degree of cultural exchange within the Slav world, associated in particular with the use of the Slav liturgical language. His examination of all the Slav peoples and extensive use of original source material in many different languages enables Dr Vlasto to give a particularly comprehensive study of the subject