Essays address plague and disease in the fifteenth century, as manifested throughout Europe. Described as "a golden age of pathogens", the long fifteenth century was notable for a series of international, national and regional epidemics that had a profound effect upon the fabric of society. The impact of pestilence upon the literary, religious, social and political life of men, women and children throughout Europe and beyond continues to excite lively debate among historians, as the ten papers presented in this volume confirm. They deal with theresponse of urban communities in England, France and Italy to matters of public health, governance and welfare, as well as addressing the reactions of the medical profession to successive outbreaks of disease, and of individuals to the omnipresence of death, while two, very different, essays examine the important, if sometimes controversial, contribution now being made by microbiologists to our understanding of the Black Death. Contributors: J.L. Bolton, Elma Brenner, Samuel Cohn, John Henderson, Neil Murphy, Elizabeth Rutledge, Samantha Sagui, Karen Smyth, Jane Stevens Crawshaw, Sheila Sweetinburgh.

The most recent ideas and arguments from leading historians of John's reign. The reign of King John (1199-1216) is one of the most controversial in English history. When he succeeded to Richard the Lionheart's lands, he could legitimately claim to rule half modern France as well as England and Ireland; butby the time of his death his dominion lay in tatters, and his subjects had banded together to restrict his powers as king under the Magna Carta and to overthrow him in favour of the son of the king of France. Over the centuries his reign has provided politicians and historians with fertile ground for inspiration and argument, and this volume adds to the debate, offering the most recent ideas and arguments from leading historians on the subject, and covering all the major issues involved. It is coherently formulated around explorations of the two major events of his reign: the loss of his continental inheritance, and the ending of his reign in the disaster of civil war. Topicscover all aspects of his life and career, from his reputation, the economy, the Norman aristocracy, the Church, Justice and the Empire, to his mother Eleanor of Aquitaine and his wife Isabella of Angouleme. It will be essential reading for all interested in one of the most significant periods of English history. Contributors: NICK BARRATT, J.L. BOLTON, JIM BRADBURY,SEAN DUFFY, A.A.M. DUNCAN, NATALIE FRYDE, JOHN GILLINGHAM, CHRISTOPHER HARPER-BILL, PAUL LATIMER, JANE MARTINDALE, V.D. MOSS, DANIEL POWER, IFOR W. ROWLANDS, RALPH V. TURNER, NICHOLAS VINCENT. Professor S.D. CHURCH teaches in the Department of History at the University of East Anglia.

A range of important issues in current research are debated in the latest volume in the series, with a special focus on warfare. The theme of conflict is central to the essays gathered in this volume. Apart from the renewed armed struggle with France in the final stages of the Hundred Years War, subjects covered include the theoretical foundations of the Wars of the Roses, the impact of this conflict in the provinces, the frequently strained relationship between the English, the Irish and the Welsh, and the effects of intermittent warfare between England and Scotland. Other themesthat emerge include the evolution of the English constitution, clerical practice at the centre and in the regions, and the competence (or otherwise) of Italian bankers when dealing with men at war. Contributors: JIM BOLTON, LUCY BROWN, MICHAEL BROWN, CHRISTINE CARPENTER, ANNE CURRY, GILLIAN DRAPER, PETER FLEMING, ANTHONY GOODMAN, HANNES KLEINEKE, CATHERINE NALL AND JAMES ROSS

`Set to become an indispensible series for anyone who wishes to keep abreast of recent work in the field.' WELSH HISTORY REVIEWImportant papers playing a key role in re-awakening scholarly interest in a comparatively neglected period of English history. The thirteen papers in this volume represent a significant step forward in knowledge and understanding of a number of aspects of 13th-century England -in particular its economy, coinage, religious life and belief, manorial farming, language attitudes and norms, cartography and geographic perception, domestic architecture, foreign relations, and internal politics. CONTRIBUTORS: J.L. BOLTON, R.J. EAGLEN, CHRISTOPHER THORNTON, MIRI RUBIN, MARGARET HOWELL, R.A. LODGE, PHILIP DIXON, P.D.A. HARVEY, JEFFREY DENTON, CHRISTOPHER HOLDSWORTH, NICHOLAS C. VINCENT, S.D. CHURCH, ROBIN FRAME.