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"The Middle Ages come to life in this latest installment in the hit Weird But True Know-It-All series, featuring stories of legendary rulers, epic castles, menacing weaponry, and more!Vikings are known for being fierce warriors. But did you know that they used tug-of-war to train for battle-and that the losing team got pulled into a pit of fire? Europe was ravaged by the plague during the Middle Ages. But did you know that one proposed cure from Medieval doctors was a concoction with a special secret ingredient: "dragons' blood"! Go beyond the Middle Ages of Europe to explore great empires around the globe, including Ottoman, Shona, Aztec, and the Song Dynasty. From Joan of Arc to Genghis Khan, incredible inventions to eyebrow-raising Medieval medicines, you'll know it all by the time you finish this book. Packed with important historical information along with the wackiest and weirdest facts ever about the Middle Ages!"--

Frontmatter --Contents --Preface --1. Boethius and the Rise of Europe --2. Gregory the Great and the New Power of the Franks --3. Charlemagne and the First Renewal of the Roman Empire --4. Consolidation of the Kingdoms --5. The End of Days Draws Menacingly Close --6. "The True Emperor Is the Pope" --7. The Long Century of Papal Schisms --8. The Vicar of God --9. The Triumph of Jurisprudence --10. The Light of Reason --11. The Monarchy --12. Waiting for Judgment Day and the Renaissance --Epilogue: The Dark Middle Ages? --Abbreviations --Notes --Selected Bibliography --Index.

Drawing on evidence from Asia, Northern Africa, and Europe, this collection of essays examines a rich array of concepts and practices that promoted peaceable intercultural exchange in the Middle Ages. The volume explores the possibility that the Middle Ages - a historical era largely ignored or glossed over in present-day debates about the nature and the future of global relations - might provide many potentially revitalizing new genealogies for thinking about cosmopolitanism