If you want to discover the captivating history of the Middle Ages, then keep reading...One of the least understood periods of European history occurred between the 6th century and the 14th or 15th century (depending on which historian you ask). Commonly called the Middle Ages, this was a time period of extreme change for Europe, beginning with the fall of the Western Roman Empire. To a continent that had seen a drastic shift in the power structure, the world seemed to be particularly harsh. Rome had been a major player across Europe for well over a millennium. Then it was gone.This is also a time period that still inspires art, literature, and philosophy today. There were men who lived during the Middle Ages who are still quoted and revered today, such as Saint Thomas Aquinas. They were almost always men of the cloth (religious men), but not always. People still enjoy the works of Geoffrey Chaucer, a famous writer who was also a merchant. The architecture of this time has also been used and reused for many centuries as well. The cathedrals and castles built during the Middle Ages still remain while younger structures have long since crumbled. Perhaps the most famous architecture from the time though is known as the Gothic style. The look and feel of the Gothic style have inspired many generations, including the Romantics of the 1800s and the horror/mystery genre that is still so popular today. However, it was the birth of universities that reflects the thinking of the time. Prior to the Middle Ages, there was no higher education.Many of the institutions and ideas that the men of the Renaissance would explore began during the Middle Ages. It was a time when Europe healed from the fall of one superpower and transitioned into something that more closely resembled the map of Europe today. It would undergo many more changes in the years following the Middle Ages, but nations began to find their identities without their Roman overlords.In The Middle Ages: A Captivating Guide to the History of Europe, Starting from the Fall of the Western Roman Empire Through the Black Death to the Beginning of the Renaissance, you will discover topics such as: Fall of the Western Roman Empire Stewards of the Future The Rise of the Byzantine Empire Reclaiming Spain and Expanding One of the Strongest and Earliest Kingdoms of the Middle Ages Charlemagne A Brief Return to the Empire Otto I and His New Empire The Great Schism The Famous (or Infamous) Crusades Forging a New En