Really enjoyed. Great background on early European history. Very easy to read, flowed beautifully. ( )

MEDIEVAL CITIES: Their Origins and the Revival of Trade, by Henri Pirenne and translated by Frank D. Halsey, is probably the toughest 167 page book I’ve ever tried to read. This classic of Medieval history grew out of lectures that Mr. Pirenne gave in the United States in 1922.
It would help the reader if they are already familiar with the some of the history between 800-1200, as the people and places mentioned are not elaborated on. If you can’t find Flanders on a map, and you don’t have a clue about the Merovingian monarchy, its best you read the book along side your computer (logged on to Wikipedia).
Mr. Pirenne's theories of the beginning of Medieval cities can be summed up even briefer than this slim title, but I won’t give it away. He was writing at a time when language was quainter, wordier, and he often throws in Latin words (of which I love to try to figure out, but my intention on reading the book was to learn history, not Latin). I learned a bit, but I really struggled with the verbosity.
If you’re interested in Medieval history, this is certainly something worth reading among other titles. The struggle is only 167 pages long! ( )

This history book is based on lectures of the famed historian Henri Pirenne, delivered in the United States in 1922. and first published in 1925. It is excellent, full of great ideas and very well written. I had to remind myself that his ideas are theories based on information available nearly one hundred years ago. Nevertheless he presents a very erudite and convincing arguement for his hypotheses.

The three important points he discusses (skip if you don't want a summary of the theses):

1. He argued that the Middle Ages did not emerge in Europe with the fall of Rome. Rather, it emerged after the Muslim expansion of the 7th-8th century - dislocating Europe from Mediterranean trade. The entire European society lost connectiion with Rome and Byzantium - instead developing its own unique culture. Hence, the medieval period is born, because the sea routes and trade of the Mediterranean had become `a Muslim lake on which the Christians could not float a board'. The Dark Ages fell over central Europe from about 500 to about 900, with life descending into utter subsistence.

2. Redevelopment of trade occurred in central Europe with the development of two foci of trade – Venice and Scandinavia - two areas that had access and connections to the East.
Venice was never culturally a part of "Europe" except for geographic location. Throughout the Dark Ages it was associated with the Byzantine Empire in Constantinople (Istanbul), and continued this association with the eastern Empire via the sea. Scandinavian adventurers also established sea trade and overland trading with the East and Muslims.

3. As larger cities formed in the 11th Century, it allowed for the formation of a merchant/middle class, and development of the class system - a structural characteristic of the city.

There are lots of interesting details around these ideas. One of the most interesting is the pivotal role of Venice as a 'Muslim' city in that time. I feel that I need to read more about the history of Venice - it sounds so fascinating.

More recent research and archeological findigns have refuted some of Pirenne's fundamental arguments and theses - his evidential sources draw mostly upon primary written records and numismatics. Later in this field shows a great deal of urban continuity between the late Roman and early medieval period.

In addition, his basic thesis on the importance of international trade for city-building has not held up. Regional trade markets, along the Rhine, in southern England, etc., have shown to provide ample foundation for numerous medieval cultures. (See Norman Cantor's Inventing the Middle Ages: The lives, work and ideals of the Great Medievalists of the Twentieth Century (NY: Morrow, 1991))

If you are a Medieval history buff, and you would like a beautifully written, brilliantly conceived (some as a political prisoner in WW1), precise of theorized Medieval City development, albeit written in 1922, this book is for you. ( )

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