The second edition of this highly successful textbook analyses the structure of later medieval society in Europe, identifies its main groups and their political programmes, and examines their impact on the political, economic and social history of the major European states.

LIST OF GENEALOGICAL TABLES AND MAPS, PREFACE, ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS, 1 THE SOURCES, 2 EUROPE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE FOURTEENTH CENTURY, 3 SOCIETY AND ITS STRUCTURE: 1. THE PEASANTS: POPULATION TRENDS, 4 SOCIETY AND ITS STRUCTURE: 2. CLERGY, NOBILITY, TOWNSMEN, 5 THE THEORY AND PRACTICE OF GOVERNMENT, 6 POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT IN WESTERN EUROPE, 7 ITALIANS AND ITALY, 8 GERMANY AND HER NORTHERN NEIGHBOURS, 9 EAST-CENTRAL EUROPE, 10 EASTERN EUROPE, 11 THE PAPAL MONARCHY: THE CHURCH AS A STATE, 12 THE BONDS OF RELIGION, 13 THE BONDS OF EDUCATION, LITERATURE AND ART, 14 THE BONDS OF TRADE, 15 THE FUTURE: EUROPE AND THE WORLD, BIBLIOGRAPHY, GENEALOGICAL TABLES, MAPS, INDEX