Is your knowledge of The Crusades less than tip-top? Maybe you're curious about Columbus, or you're desperate to read about the Black Death in all its gory detail? Whatever your starting point, this expert guide has it all - from kings, knights and anti-Popes, to invasion, famine, the Magna Carta and Joan of Arc (and a few rebellious peasants thrown in for good measure ). Get ready for a rip-roaring ride through the political, religious and cultural life of the Middle Ages, one of the most talked-about periods in history.

Medieval History for Dummies includes:

Part I: The Early Middle AgesChapter 1: The Middle Ages: When, Where, What, Who?Chapter 2: The end of Rome and the not so 'Dark Ages'.Chapter 3: Angles, Saxons and Feudalism.Chapter 4: The Carolingians grab their chance.Chapter 5: Charlemagne - A new empire is born.

Part II: The Making of EuropeChapter 6: The (Holy Roman) Empire Strikes Back.Chapter 7: East Meets West: Islam in the Western Mediterranean.Chapter 8: The Vikings: A threat from the north.Chapter 9: Schism: The Church splits itself in two.Chapter 10: The Normans: The 'real' Middle Ages begin.

Part III: 'Holy War': Crusading at home and abroad.Chapter 11: Crusade: A call to arms.Chapter 12: The First CrusadeChapter 13: England vs France & Pope vs EmperorChapter 14: The Second Crusade & The 'Crusades at Home'Chapter 15: Richard vs Saladin: The Third CrusadeChapter 16: The later Crusades and other failures.

Part IV: Parliament, Priories, Provisions & PlagueChapter 17: John, Henry, Rudolf & Edward.Chapter 18: Monks & Merchants: The new power brokersChapter 19: The Papacy on Tour: Avignon and the Anti-PopesChapter 20: 'God's Judgement?': The Black Death

Part V: The End of the Middle and the start of discovery.Chapter 21: One Hundred Years of WarChapter 22: The Peasants are RevoltingChapter 23: Agincourt, Joan of Arc & the French recoveryChapter 24: Columbus & The New World

Part VI: The Part of TensChapter 25: Ten Rubbish KingsChapter 26: Ten Curious Medieval PastimesChapter 27: Ten Great CastlesChapter 28: Ten People Who Changed The WorldChapter 29: Ten Great Books (To read next)

The civilisation of the Ancient Greeks has been immensely influential on the language, politics, educational systems, philosophy, science and arts of Western culture. As well as instigating itself as the birthplace of the Olympics, Ancient Greece is famous for its literature, philosophy, mythology and the beautiful architecture- to which thousands of tourists flock every year. This entertaining guide introduces readers to the amazing world of the Ancient Greeks. It offers a complete rundown of Greek history alongside fascinating insights into daily life in Ancient Greece and a captivating overview of Greek mythology. Readers will discover how this ancient culture came to be the cornerstone of Western civilisation and the enormous influence it has had on our language, politics, education, philosophy, science, arts and sport. The history of Ancient Greece remains a wide topic of interest, particularly renowned for its influential and diverse culture This basic guide will allow greater access to this vibrant area of study, and provide a distinct and light-hearted approach to this vast area history Covers dozens of topics, including; the early civilisations, war & fighting, home & family, day-to-day life and much, much more! About the author Steve Batchelor is a lecturer in Classics at Richmond College and has been teaching ancient history for 10 years. He has written reviews for various publications, including History Today , and he has also been involved in running guided historical tours of Greece.