A wide variety of texts (from chronicles to Chaucer) studied for evidence of medieval attitudes towards the processes of change as they affected individuals at all points of their lives. Rites of passage is a term and concept more used than considered. Here, for the first time, its implications are applied and tested in the field of medieval studies: medievalists from a range of disciplines consider the varioustheoretical models - folklorist, anthropological, psychoanalytical - that can be used to analyse cultures of transition in the history and literature of fourteenth-century Europe. Ranging over a wide variety of texts, from chronicles to romances, from priests' manuals to courtesy books, from state records to the writings of Chaucer, Gower and Froissart, the contributors identify and analyse medieval attitudes to the process of change in lifecycle, status,gender and power. A substantive introduction by Miri Rubin draws together the ideas and materials discussed in the book to illustrate the relevance and importance of anthropology to the study of medieval culture. Contributors: JOEL BURDEN, PATRICIA CULLUM, ISABEL DAVIS, JANE GILBERT, SARAH KAY, MARK ORMROD, HELEN PHILLIPS, MIRI RUBIN, SHARON WELLS. NICOLA F. McDONALD is Lecturer in Medieval Literature, the late W.M ORMROD was Professor of Medieval History, University of York.

A homeless boy in the Great Depression who dreams of finding a family of his own joins Special Forces during World War II. Sharon Wells Wagner makes her literary debut with the story of her father, Red Wells - a man who has seen hardship, joy, and adventure. Telling the tale through his eyes, she takes us on a remarkable journey from childhood through the Second World War and beyond. Growing up poor in small-town America, Red spends his days as a youth wandering the streets, hopping freight trains, and shuffling from home to home. But when he joins the Army, his life changes forever. From his early training in the jungles of Panama to his battles in the war-torn streets of Belgium and France, Red learns the meaning of family from the men with whom he serves - the men of the 99th Infantry Battalion (Separate). The lessons he learns and the events he witnesses influence who he becomes, and he returns home a new man. Red Wells is more than a book. It is a true story - a legacy to an extraordinary man and his life's journey.

Sixty-four heroes. One story. Sharon Wells Wagner, author of Red Wells, collaborated with her son, Stephen Wagner, on this extraordinary account of one of history's greatest conflicts: World War II. Told through the eyes of its participants, Ordinary Heroes is a compelling collection of true stories woven into a single narrative spanning the entire war-from the waters of Pearl Harbor to the sands of Normandy to the mountains of Okinawa. The result of more than sixty interviews, this is a story about enlisted men-ordinary men whose families struggled to survive the Great Depression, who grew up on farms and in the small towns of rural America. When called upon to serve they rose to the challenge. In war they saw the best and the worst of humanity. They experienced hope and despair, joy and heartbreak. Those who survived returned home profoundly changed. War leaves its mark on the best of men, and the courageous individuals within these pages are no exception. They did not turn their backs when history needed them most, but met the challenge head on. In doing so they brought peace to a world at war.