Spanning almost 500 years, from 1066 to 1485, the Middle Ages were times of extremes: rich in art, scholarship and adventure, and burdened with poverty, servitude, and plague. With meticulous research and an eye for a good story, the Laings have constructed a fascinating tableau of life in the age of King Arthur and Robin Hood. Visit majestic Gothic cathedrals, the long, dusty roads of a pilgrim, and chivalrous knights jousting. There are vivid details of agricultural practices, fortifications, culinary pleasures, and the great traditions of the church. Superbly illustrated throughout, this book brings us the imagination, ambitions, and everyday realities of a society that formed the basis of modern Western culture.