This episode of History 102 explores the European Middle Ages, its misunderstood aspects, technological and social advancements, and critical events. WhatifAltHist creator Rudyard Lynch and Erik Torenberg discover how the seemingly "dark" medieval era set the stage for the scientific revolution, the age of exploration, and the rise of modern Europe.

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HIGHLIGHTS:

Setting the Stage: The European Middle Ages
Misconceptions About the Middle Ages
The High Middle Ages: Society and Innovations
Feudalism and Social Structures
Political Dynamics in Medieval Europe
The Decline of the Middle Ages
The Black Death and Its Aftermath
Legacy of the Middle Ages

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Recommended Books:

The Rise of the West: A History of the Human Community by William H. McNeill

A Short History of the Middle Ages by Barbara Rosenwein

The Time Traveler's Guide to Medieval England: A Handbook for Visitors to the Fourteenth Century by Ian Mortimer

A Secular Age by Charles Taylor

Europe Emerges: Transition Toward an Industrial World-Wide Society, 600-1750 by Robert L. Reynolds

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