The Story of Medieval England: From King Arthur to the Tudor Conquest tells the remarkable story of a tumultuous thousand-year period. Dominated by war, conquest, and the struggle to balance the stability brought by royal power with the rights of the governed, it was a period that put into place the foundation of much of the world we know today. Taught by Professor Jennifer Paxton, an honored scholar and a professor at The Catholic University of America,...

Prof. Daileader discusses major developments, leaders, and accomplishments in the history of Europe from about 1300 to 1500 A.D.

Prof. Daileader traces major developments, leaders, and accomplishments in the history of Europe from about 300 to 1000 A.D.

When legendary Russian auteur Aleksei German died in 2013, he left behind this extraordinary final film, a phantasmagoric adaptation of the revered sci-fi novel by the Strugatsky Brothers (authors of the source novel for Tarkovsky's Stalker). Hard to be a God began percolating in German's consciousness in the mid-1960s, and would actively consume him for the last 15 years of his life. He brought the film close enough to completion for his wife and...

Vivid descriptions and analysis of historical personalities with costumed actors, historical locations, and portraits to visually enliven the story of the English crown from the fall of Rome to the 1660s.

Ralph Waite reads the featured book Rumpelstiltskin retold by Paul O. Zelinsky. Host LeVar Burton visits a Renaissance festival in Agoura Hills, California. Viewers experience what it was like to live in the days of lords, kings and queens, and knights in shining armor. LeVar explores the festival where daily performers such as minstrels and jesters all take part in the fanfare. Reviewed books are A medieval feast by Aliki, The story of a castle by...

"More than covering great events that change the contours of history, Professor Garland takes you into the scene and allows you to hear what he terms the "heartbeat of history." Rather than merely reviewing the facts of events such as the Battle of Marathon, the arrest and trial of Jesus, and the coronation of Charlemagne, you'll engage with a variety of first-hand accounts and authentic primary and secondary sources to experience what it was like...

"The Medieval Legacy offers a deep look at a stunning millennium of change and innovation which continues to inform our contemporary world. Throughout the course, individual lectures highlight our heritage from the Middle Ages as it affects daily experience: in the kinds of paperwork we live with every day; the ways we read and publish texts; the medieval inventions we use, such as clocks and eyeglasses; how we compose poetry and novels; the universities...

"Buying and selling goods to the general masses may not seem very exciting, but being a merchant in the Middle Ages ensured one a life filled with adventure. In The Merchant, students will explore the lives of these well-traveled entrepreneurs, whose trade in life generated the need for building medieval towns. Get a firsthand account of what it was like to be the wife of a merchant, and follow the path young boys pursued to learn a craft. Explore...

"The feudal relationships during the Middle Ages established a hierarchy that deeply affected the social landscape of the period. In Social Structure in the Middle Ages, students will explore the complex relationships between a lord, his vassals and their serfs -- an intertwining of the wealthy and poor that ensured everyone in these medieval societies depended on each other. Discover the importance of land during this time and how ownership of estates...