Medieval Ireland 4-16th Century History Society Culture Religion Vikings Normans

Description

Medieval Ireland: The Enduring Tradition by Michael Richter, with a Foreword by Proinseas Ni Chathain.
NOTE
: We have 75,000 books in our library, almost 10,000 different titles. Odds are we have other copies of this same title in varying conditions, some less expensive, some better condition. We might also have different editions as well (some paperback, some hardcover, oftentimes international editions). If you don’t see what you want, please contact us and ask. We’re happy to send you a summary of the differing conditions and prices we may have for the same title.
DESCRIPTION:
Softcover 226 pages. Publisher: Palgrave-Macmillan (1996). Dimensions: 8½ x 5½ x ¾ inches; ¾ pound.
Irish history has traditionally been described either in isolation or in the manner in which it was influenced by outside forces, especially by England. This book strikes a different balance. First, the time span covered is longer then usual, and more attention is being paid to the early medieval centuries than to the later period. Whether the twelfth century marked a turning point in Irish history, as is normally taken for granted, is questioned here.
Secondly, less emphasis is placed in this book on the political or military history of Ireland than on general social and cultural aspects. As a result, a new interpretation of medieval Ireland emerges, one in which social and cultural norms inherited from pre-historic times are seen to survive right through the Middle Ages. They gave Irish society a stability and inherent strength unparalleled in Europe. Christianity came in as an additional, enriching factor.
“Medieval Ireland: The Enduring Tradition” is an overview of Irish society from the coming of Christianity in the fourth century to the Reformation in the sixteenth. Such a broad survey reveals features otherwise not easily detected. For all the complexity of political developments, Irish society remained basically stable and managed to withstand the onslaught of both the Vikings and the English. The inherent strength of Ireland consisted in the cultural heritage from pre-historic times which remained influential throughout the centuries discussed here.
CONDITION: VERY GOOD. Partially read but age-blemished oversized softcover. Palgrave Macmillan (1996) 226 pages. Inspection of the

book suggests that only the first dozen pages were read. There’s no reading crease in the spine, however the

evidence does suggest that someone did briefly start the book before putting it away unread. From the outside

the fore and top surfaces of the closed page edges show age-tanning, the top surface also shows heavy “foxing”

(tiny, tan-colored age speckles). Both the tanning and the foxing are of course, by and large visible only when

book is closed, not to individual pages, only to the mass of closed page edges, sometimes referred to as the

“page block”. However inside the book the first few and the last few pages within the book are also age-tanned

and show a few tiny, faint, age-speckles. The original owner also wrote their name, in ink, along the top edge

of the first page within the book (the half-title page). Notwithstanding the inked name and the age-

tanning/foxing to the first and last few pages within the book, the inside of the book is otherwise almost

pristine. The pages are clean, crisp, (otherwise) unmarked, unmutilated, tightly bound, and clearly unread

beyond about page 20. Returning to the outside of the book, aside from the age-tanning and foxing to the closed

page edges, the book covers are clean an evidencing only very mild edge and corner shelfwear. This is really

only easily discerned if you hold the book up to a light source (yeah, we’re nitpicking). You can then discern

very mild edge and corner shelf wear to the covers, little crinkles at the cover corners and less frequently,

along the cover edges. Given he age-related tanning and “foxing” to the top and fore-surfaces of the closed

page edges, the book might lack the “sex appeal” of a “shelf trophy”. Nonetheless for those not concerned with

whether the book will or will not enhance their social status or intellectual reputation, it is otherwise clean

and essentially unread. Satisfaction unconditionally guaranteed. In stock, ready to ship. No disappointments,

no excuses. PROMPT SHIPPING! HEAVILY PADDED, DAMAGE-FREE PACKAGING! Meticulous and accurate descriptions!

Selling rare and out-of-print ancient history books on-line since 1997. We accept returns for any reason within

30 days! #1840.2b
PLEASE SEE IMAGES BELOW FOR SAMPLE PAGES FROM INSIDE OF BOOK.
PLEASE SEE PUBLISHER, PROFESSIONAL, AND READER REVIEWS BELOW.
PUBLISHER REVIEW
:
REVIEW: Michael Richter studied History and English at the Universities of Marburg, Berlin, and London, obtaining his doctorate in 1968. After further research, he was Lecturer in Medieval History at University College Dublin from 1974 to 1986, with a short spell as visiting Professor at Vienna University between 1981 and 1982. Since 1986 he has been Professor of Medieval Constitutional History at the University of Konstanz.
PROFESSIONAL REVIEWS
:
REVIEW: To attempt to present the history of Ireland from its beginnings to the beginning of the sixteenth century is as hazardous in its way as crossing the Niagara Falls on a tightrope. The first thing that must be said is that Richter succeeded in passing from one end to the other with very few wobbles, and with all the caution necessary for the task. His knowledge of the literature is full and accurate, his judgment sane and his exposition lucid.
REVIEW: Medieval Ireland is an extended essay on Irish society from the coming of Christianity in the fourth century to the Reformation in the sixteenth. Seen in wider European context, medieval Ireland emerges as exceptional and her contributions to the shaping of Europe, outstanding.
REVIEW: An essay on medieval Irish society, from the coming of Christianity in the fourth century to the Reformation of the 16th century. It examines the influence of cultural, religious and political developments of Irish society. One of the valuable features of Dr. Richter’s handling of the early period is the skill with which he conveys the richness of the written sources.
REVIEW: The native ecclesiastical and secular background to Irish peregrination abroad is outlined succinctly. The author shows his familiarity with current research by, for example, his skillful use of the as yet largely unpublished archaeological excavations in medieval Dublin to highlight differences between the pre- and post-Norman periods.
READER REVIEW
:
REVIEW: The book is a brief history of medieval Ireland. It covers the times from the prehistoric times to the fifteenth century. However, brief does not mean superficial. The author chooses some subjects he is interested in and discusses them trying to be impartial – from many different points of view. He does not try to describe the past in detail, but rather to point out the most important moments, problems and aspects in Irish history. Richter also poses some questions significant from the point of view of a contemporary person some of which remain open.
The book is suitable for beginners as it is quite short and written in a comprehensible way as well as for people truly interested in the matter thanks to reliable bibliography record and references. It helps to understand the unusual political organization and the complicated and quite uncommon social structure of the Island in the middle ages. Obviously, history of medieval Ireland was greatly determined by the history of church. That is why the book deals mainly with the church’s history, which was not less interesting in Ireland than political history. It is a very good book for a great start.
SHIPPING & RETURNS/REFUNDS
: We always ship books domestically (within the USA) via USPS
INSURED
media mail (“book rate”). Most international orders cost an additional $13.49 to $41.99 for an
insured
shipment in a heavily padded mailer. There is also a discount program which can cut postage costs by 50% to 75% if you’re buying about half-a-dozen books or more (5 kilos+). Our postage charges are as reasonable as USPS rates allow.
ADDITIONAL PURCHASES
do receive a
VERY LARGE
discount, typically about $5 per book (for each additional book after the first) so as to reward you for the economies of combined shipping/insurance costs.
Your purchase will ordinarily be shipped within 48 hours of payment. We package as well as anyone in the business, with lots of protective padding and containers. All of our shipments are fully insured against loss, and our shipping rates include the cost of this coverage (through stamps.com, Shipsaver.com, the USPS, UPS, or Fed-Ex). International tracking is provided free by the USPS for certain countries, other countries are at additional cost. We do offer U.S. Postal Service Priority Mail, Registered Mail, and Express Mail for both international and domestic shipments, as well United Parcel Service (UPS) and Federal Express (Fed-Ex). Please ask for a rate quotation. We will accept whatever payment method you are most comfortable with.
If upon receipt of the item you are disappointed for any reason whatever, I offer a no questions asked 30-day return policy. Send it back, I will give you a complete refund of the purchase price; 1) less our original shipping/insurance costs, 2) less non-refundable PayPal/eBay payment processing fees. Please note that PayPal does NOT refund fees. Even if you “accidentally” purchase something and then cancel the purchase before it is shipped, PayPal will not refund their fees. So all refunds for any reason, without exception, do not include PayPal/eBay payment processing fees (typically between 3% and 5%) and shipping/insurance costs (if any). If you’re unhappy with PayPal and eBay’s “no fee refund” policy, and we are EXTREMELY unhappy, please voice your displeasure by contacting PayPal and/or eBay. We have no ability to influence, modify or waive PayPal or eBay policies.
ABOUT US
: Prior to our retirement we used to travel to Europe and Central Asia several times a year. Most of the items we offer came from acquisitions we made in Eastern Europe, India, and from the Levant (Eastern Mediterranean/Near East) during these years from various institutions and dealers. Much of what we generate on Etsy, Amazon and Ebay goes to support The Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, as well as some other worthy institutions in Europe and Asia connected with Anthropology and Archaeology. Though we have a collection of ancient coins numbering in the tens of thousands, our primary interests are ancient jewelry and gemstones. Prior to our retirement we traveled to Russia every year seeking antique gemstones and jewelry from one of the globe’s most prolific gemstone producing and cutting centers, the area between Chelyabinsk and Yekaterinburg, Russia. From all corners of Siberia, as well as from India, Ceylon, Burma and Siam, gemstones have for centuries gone to Yekaterinburg where they have been cut and incorporated into the fabulous jewelry for which the Czars and the royal families of Europe were famous for.
My wife grew up and received a university education in the Southern Urals of Russia, just a few hours away from the mountains of Siberia, where alexandrite, diamond, emerald, sapphire, chrysoberyl, topaz, demantoid garnet, and many other rare and precious gemstones are produced. Though perhaps difficult to find in the USA, antique gemstones are commonly unmounted from old, broken settings – the gold reused – the gemstones recut and reset. Before these gorgeous antique gemstones are recut, we try to acquire the best of them in their original, antique, hand-finished state – most of them centuries old. We believe that the work created by these long-gone master artisans is worth protecting and preserving rather than destroying this heritage of antique gemstones by recutting the original work out of existence. That by preserving their work, in a sense, we are preserving their lives and the legacy they left for modern times. Far better to appreciate their craft than to destroy it with modern cutting.
Not everyone agrees – fully 95% or more of the antique gemstones which come into these marketplaces are recut, and the heritage of the past lost. But if you agree with us that the past is worth protecting, and that past lives and the produce of those lives still matters today, consider buying an antique, hand cut, natural gemstone rather than one of the mass-produced machine cut (often synthetic or “lab produced”) gemstones which dominate the market today. We can set most any antique gemstone you purchase from us in your choice of styles and metals ranging from rings to pendants to earrings and bracelets; in sterling silver, 14kt solid gold, and 14kt gold fill. When you purchase from us, you can count on quick shipping and careful, secure packaging. We would be happy to provide you with a certificate/guarantee of authenticity for any item you purchase from us. There is a $3 fee for mailing under separate cover. I will always respond to every inquiry whether via email or eBay message, so please feel free to write.