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Have you ever wondered what the medieval era was actually like? Aside from our culture's stereotypical impression of court jesters performing, knights saving damsels in distress, and kings and queens garbed in the fanciest regalia, of course. These stories look at what the historical records tell us about the medieval era: the religious wars, the torture methods ulilized as common punishments, revolts against class inequality, and more fascinating tidbits about what life was really like for people in those distant centuries.
Explore classic nonfiction reads at no cost.
These sea voyages had lofty goals.
By Orrin Grey
Some disputes were settled by innovative means, to say the least.
We're taking a look at this series of influential English civil wars.
By Lee D'Amato
As it turns out, it's a bit of both.
By Lee D'Amato
From the heretic's fork to being eaten alive by insects, these grisly old torture methods prove that humans have always been brutal.
Fed up with their working conditions, the serfs rebelled en masse.
By Lee D'Amato
Built during the Middle Ages, these castles are still standing today.
Wealthy people were eager to believe the discipline's bold claims.
We discuss what it's like to write historical fiction, her interest in medieval Europe, and more.
The legendary wizard in King Arthur's court has a surprisingly complex backstory.
Not yet familiar with the plague, her entourage underestimated its severity.
England’s 1381 uprising was fueled by unrest in the aftermath of a pandemic.
Its likes had never been seen before.
The historical reputation of Trota through the years shows how the mores of a current society can restrict contemporary understanding of a figure from the past.
By Bessie Yuill
It wasn't all just swords and lances...
By Orrin Grey
The Crusades, although the most defining conflicts of the medieval era, are often misunderstood. These books illuminate their true nature.
By John Tuttle
Though even they don't know the tomb's precise location, the Darkhad continue to keep their leader's final resting place a treasured secret.
Being a knight wasn't really about wooing fair maidens or grand quests—it was hard, dirty work.