Moyen Age pour quoi faire?
Full details
| English title | Middle Ages, why did they happen? |
| Authors & editors | Pernoud, Regine [Author] |
| Publisher | Stock |
| Year of publication | 1986 |
| Languages | French (main text) |
| Medium | Book |
| Edition | 1 |
| Topics | Arts, culture and heritage > The role of women |
| Tags | |
| Scope & content | A book on the Middle Ages. Discusses the origins of the Middle Ages, tries to answer where they originated, when and why. Includes links/ parallels with “modern day” (1977-1986) Introduction gives information on how the book came to be written, and the key themes to be explored in the book. The book is divided into three parts. Part one: Brief history of civilisation. -Women in the Third World- role in working mills, grain, farming. Animal power. -Discusses family lives and structures- people leaving home to find work etc.-Discusses the meaning of the term Middle Ages. A time of “under development”-Impacts of droughts and too much rain. The continuous cycle. -Commercial development in the Middle Ages. Net produce. Part 2: Discusses developments made during the Middle Ages. For example, economic developments particularly in small towns and villages.-Urbanisation and economic growth of towns (France and beyond). Looks at produce- wine, grains, -Conditions needed for development- e.g. the intensification of agricultural produce. -Impact on population- increase. Population of Paris at the end of the 13th century. The first major town in Europe with a population of 200,000. Need for more industry and food (grain produce). Increase in economic activity led to more mills of all varieties. -Discusses development of communes in Paris and how this benefitted people’s lives particularly in relation to agriculture and technology. -Discusses significant people such as William the Conqueror (including the Domesday Book) and Charlemagne. -Discusses the church and its relation with work/ society and industry. Foundries, taxes, etc. -Discusses the feudal regime- Cistercians and Templars arriving in Bretangne and its impact on the economic development in the area. Including impact on grain production, milling etc. Discusses human rights. Part three: The Middle Ages- the service of the Third World-People in the Third World could benefit from industrial techniques from the Middle Ages. Arguably they are at least 200 years behind other countries as a result of this lack of knowledge. -India- problems in villages; overpopulation; too much pollution, lack of jobs, particularly in industries such as milling; flour milling, cotton/ fabrics etc. -Africa- similar problems. All link to Middle Ages. Could be solved by methods from this period? -“Traditional technology”- water power, wind power, animal powered machinery- are these solutions to the problems? -Discusses the oldest paper mill in Paris (from 1326). Includes information on its machinery, and subsequent developments. -Discusses other countries such as Nepal. Including technology; milling, machinery. Still considered “outdated”. -International projects including- UNICEF work in Kenya, etc. to create water mills/ wells. UNESCO projects to construct two horizontal mills in Third World countries. “Floating mills” in India. |
Copies held
Accession no. 229825
- Shelf location: A050-PER
- Donor: Ken Major Collection
- Notes: Signed by Jean Gimpel to Ken