This clear and comprehensive text covers the Middle Ages from the classical era to the late medieval period. John Riddle provides a cogent analysis of the rulers, wars, and events - both natural and human - that defined the medieval era. Taking a broad geographical perspective, Riddle includes northern and eastern Europe, Byzantium, and the Islamic states. He convincingly shows how each offered values and institutions that presaged modernity. In addition to a thorough chronological narrative, the text offers humanizing features to engage students. Each chapter opens with a theme-setting vignette about daily life and introduces students to key controversies and themes in historiography by discussing the work of a prominent medieval historian. Richly illustrated, this lively, engaging book will immerse readers in the medieval world, an era that shaped the foundation for the modern world.