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The Domesday Book is the result of a survey carried out in England and parts of Wales in 1086. The book is one of the first and therefore oldest public records in England and therefore serves as a great resource for geographers, genealogists and historians. The Open Domesday Book is the first free online copy of the Domesday Book. It also includes a great Google Maps interface that allows users to search for locations and quickly find references in the Domesday Book to the location and places nearby. If you search for a location you can view on a Google Map the places mentioned in the Book in that area. If you click through on any of the referenced locations you can view an image of the original text and a breakdown of the data recorded in the Domesday Book.

"Hundreds of books about the Middle Ages are published each year. Many offer new and interesting insights into the period, and are generally well-received. However, there are also books that can cause a stir among medievalists. Some topics, such as the Crusades or Richard III, often generate considerable debate. Other books have found controversy for different reasons - sometimes bringing in new ideas that have changed the way we think about the Middle Ages, while others have been met by scorn and criticism. Here are ten books that for a variety of reasons caused controversy:"

Knighton's Chronicle 1337-1396 read online in Google Books

search results in the book for "Harrying of the north"

search results in the book for "harrying of the north"

Genoa and the Genoese, 958-1528  Read more about this book at http://uncpress.unc.edu/browse/page/315

Gothic architecture in France, England, and Italy - read the book at  http://www.archive.org/details/gothicarchitectu02jackuoft

"A book of medieval law that predates the Magna Carta and is described as 'Britain's hidden treasure' has been made available to view online"

Another famous collection, now known as Le Viandier de Taillevent, was originally compiled at the beginning of the 14th century; later it was attributed to the head chef of the Valois court, Guillaume Tirel, also known as Taillevent, who had a long and distinguished career as a professional chef. Tirel had the status of a squire and the coat of arms on his tomb, at St Germain en Laye outside Paris, incorporates a row of three cooking pots. The collection has the distinction of being the first printed cookery book; this occurred in the 1480s and the book went through several subsequent editions. The contents were modified considerably with the passage of time; the first printed version contains an additional group of contemporary recipes that have been described as the 15th century French 'nouvelle cuisine'! - you can see an online version at:

Timothy Graham's illustrated lecture on the history, art and symbolism of the Book of Kells, a medieval Celtic decorated gospel manuscript. Sponsored by Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, UNM Continuing Education. Watch the illustrated lecture on the Book of Kells Listen to the lecture

The word 'Assassin' was brought back from Syria by the Crusaders, and in time acquired the meaning of murderer. Originally it was applied to the members of a Muslim religious sect - a branch of the Ismailis, and the followers of a leader known as the Old Man of the Mountain. Their beliefs and their methods made them a by-word for both fanaticism and terrorism in Syria and Persia in the 11th and 12th centuries, and the subject of a luxuriant growth of myth and legend. In this book, Bernard Lewis begins by tracing the development of these legends in medieval and modern Europe and the gradual percolation of accurate knowledge concerning the Ismailis. He then examines the origins and activities of the sect, on the basis of contemporary Persian and Arabic sources, and against the background of Middle Eastern and Islamic history. In a final chapter he discusses some of the political, social and economic implications of the Ismailis, and examines the significance of the Assassins in the history of revolutionary and terrorist movements.

" here are just a few of the non-fiction books I've read and enjoyed. They reflect my interest in the UK and France (especially the fourteenth century), as you'll see."

"Medieval libraries in England were assembled in many places and for different purposes. Monastic libraries supported both theological education and the advancement of learning, and provided the seeds for later university libraries. Cathedrals and their schools likewise collected books and encouraged their reading. Royal libraries gathered both practical and artistic books, with illuminated manuscripts given and received as signs of wealth and power. However, our knowledge of these libraries can be described as limited at best. The majority of manuscripts have been lost over time, their greatest enemies being fire, war or insurrection, theft and neglect. So what can we know about the manuscripts contained in these medieval libraries? And how and where were these manuscripts produced?"

"If you've found yourself on Medievalists.net, chances are you already have a deep and (hopefully) abiding love for the Middle Ages, as I do. Maybe, though, you're just at the beginning of this love affair with the past, or you know someone who is, and you're looking for a place to get a good overview of the period before you dive right in. In that case, here are a few books which will give you a foothold on the Middle Ages as you begin your journey."

"Explore 1120 pages in the manuscript New York, Pierpont Morgan Library, M. 905, better known as the Geese Book. Use the drop-down calendar to locate feasts and saints' days. Hear and see selected chants with transcriptions and translations."

Manuscripts and cookery books in Medieval Europe

Feminae: Medieval Women and Gender Index covers journal articles, book reviews, and essays in books about women, sexuality, and gender during the Middle Ages. Because of the explosion of research in Women's Studies during the past two decades, scholars and students interested in women during the Middle Ages find an ever-growing flood of publications.

Crusader Castles in the Holy Land 1097-1192 

The Oxford history of the Crusades

The central convent of Hospitallers and Templars