The Sea in the Middle presents an original and revisionist narrative of the development of the medieval west from late antiquity to the dawn of modernity. This textbook is uniquely centered on the Mediterranean and emphasizes the role played by peoples and cultures of Africa, Asia, and Europe in an age when Christians, Muslims, and Jews of various denominations engaged with each other in both conflict and collaboration.
Key features:
- Fifteen-chapter structure to aid classroom use
- Sections in each chapter that feature key artifacts relevant to chapter themes
- Dynamic visuals, including 190 photos and 20 maps
The Sea in the Middle and its sourcebook companion,
Texts from the Middle, pair together to provide a framework and materials that guide students through this complex but essential history—one that will appeal to the diverse student bodies of today.
Thomas E. Burman is Professor of History at University of Notre Dame. He is a scholar of Christian-Muslim-Jewish intellectual and cultural history in the medieval Mediterranean. His book Reading the Qur’an in Latin Christendom was awarded the Jacques Barzun Prize in Cultural History.
Brian A. Catlos is Professor of Religious Studies at University of Colorado Boulder. He works on Christian-Muslim-Jewish relations in the premodern Mediterranean. His most recent book, Kingdoms of Faith: A New History of Islamic Spain, is available in eight languages and as an audiobook.
Mark D. Meyerson is Professor in the Department of History and Centre for Medieval Studies at the University of Toronto. He works on Christian-Muslim-Jewish relations in the premodern Mediterranean and on the history of violence. His book A Jewish Renaissance in Fifteenth-Century Spain was runner-up for the National Jewish Book Award, USA.
"Written in a clear and engaging style and covering thematically the whole span of Mediterranean history, this is an exemplary textbook, as well as a capacious and engaging example of what three masterful historians can do in writing a 'total' history of the Mediterranean. An extraordinary achievement to be read by students and scholars alike."—Teofilo Ruiz, Distinguished Research Professor Emeritus of History, University of California, Los Angeles
"By focusing on the Mediterranean writ large, this powerful and original book upends traditional views of medieval and early modern history to offer a compelling new master narrative of the millennium from 650 to 1650. The authors reveal the Mediterranean as an integrated space that extended far beyond this sea’s shores to involve Muslims, Christians, Jews, and others in complex patterns of conflict and cooperation. This highly readable tour-de-force of synthesis and analysis is bound to become a classic."—Amy G. Remensnyder, Professor of History, Brown University
"In this ground-breaking work, Thomas E. Burman, Brian A. Catlos, and Mark D. Meyerson have taken care to provide a guide to the complexities of the medieval and early modern Mediterranean that will surprise, delight, and illuminate. Teachers and students will be forever grateful."—Teresa Shawcross, Associate Professor of History and Hellenic Studies, Princeton University
496 pp.8.25 x 10Illus: 91 color, 94 b/w illustrations; 28 maps
9780520296527$49.95|£42.00Paper
Aug 2022