From the schism between Rome and Constantinople to the rise of the T'ang Dynasty, from the birth of Muhammad to the crowning of Charlemagne, this erudite book tells the fascinating, often violent story of kings, generals, and the peoples they ruled. In her earlier work, The History of the Ancient World, Susan Wise Bauer wrote of the rise of kingship based on might. But in the years between the fourth and the twelfth centuries, rulers had to find new...

Combines location sequences and animation to show the building of a Gothic cathedral. Begins with a tour of Chartres, Reims, Amiens, Bourges, Beauvais, Notre Dame de Paris, Laon, and the Royal Abbey Church of St. Denis. Discusses life in the medieval era and how churches were a center of life.