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Home / Historical Periods / Medieval Period

Period

Medieval Period

c. 330–1,536

The Medieval Period stretches roughly from the fifth to the fifteenth century, although its dates vary by region. It includes the collapse of Roman authority in the West, the rise of Christian kingdoms, the growth of Islam, the Byzantine world, Viking expansion, feudal lordship, crusading, plague, dynastic war, and the gradual emergence of stronger monarchies. It is a long and varied age rather than a single uniform setting.

Its importance lies in the way older Roman, Germanic, Christian, Islamic, and local traditions were remade into new political and cultural worlds. Kingship, lordship, monasteries, castles, towns, trade routes, universities, and military orders all developed across these centuries. The period also contains repeated shocks: conquest, invasion, civil war, famine, plague, rebellion, and religious conflict.

Medieval fiction ranges from Bernard Cornwell’s The Saxon Stories and Sharon Kay Penman’s Plantagenet novels to Ken Follett’s Kingsbridge series, Umberto Eco’s The Name of the Rose, and Maurice Druon’s The Accursed Kings. It supports long family sagas, monastic mysteries, battlefield novels, court intrigue, crusader stories, Viking fiction, plague narratives, and books about the formation of kingdoms.

Related people for Medieval Period

Abd-ar-Rahman III891–961 Al-Musta’sim1212–1258 Alv Erlingssonc. 13th century–1290 Anne Beauchamp, 16th Countess of Warwick1426–1492 Anne Neville1456–1485 Anne of Brittany1477–1514 Antonina495–565 Ariq Böke1219–1266 Arthur, Prince of Wales1486–1502 Attilac. 5th century–453 Baldwin IV of Jerusalemborn 1161 Balian of Ibelin1135–1193 Bardas Phokas the Youngerc. 940–989 Bardas Sklerostenth century–991 Basil II958–1025 Batu Khan1205–1255 Belisarius505–565 Bernabò Visconti1323–1385 Bernard Gui1261–1331 Bertrand du Guesclinc. 1320s–1380 Blanche of Lancaster1342–1368 Blondel de Nesle1155–c. 13th century Brian Boru941–1014 Börte1161–1230 Cadwaladr ap Gruffuddc. 12th century–1172 Catherine of Aragon1485–1536 Catherine of Valois1401–1437 Catherine the Great1729-1796 Cecily Neville, Duchess of York1415–1495 Chagatai Khan1183–1242 Charles II of Navarre1332–1387 Charles I of England1600–1649 Charles IV of France1294–1328 Charles of Valois1270–1325 Charles the Bald823–877 Charles the Bold1433–1477 Charles VIII of France1470–1498 Charles VI of France1368–1422 Charles V of France1338–1380 Charlotte, Queen of Cyprus1444–1487 Clementia of Hungary1293–1328 Cnut the Great994–1035 Conrad of Montferrat1146–1192 Constance of York1375–1416 Constantine II of Scotlandc. 9th century–952 David I of Scotland1084–1153 David of Trebizond1408–1463 Edith of Wessexdied 1075 Edmund Ironside988–1016 Edward, the Black Prince1330–1376 Edward Bruce1275–1318 Edward III of England1312–1377 Edward II of England1284–1327 Edward I of England1239–1307 Edward IV1442–1483 Edward of Westminster, Prince of Wales1453–1471 Edward the Confessordied 1066 Edward V1470–1483 Eleanor, Duchess of Gloucester1400–1452 Eleanor of Aquitaine1124–1204 Elizabeth I1533–1603 Elizabeth Mortimer1371–1417 Elizabeth of York1466–1503 Elizabeth Paston1429–1488 Elizabeth Woodville1437–1492 Emma of Normandy987–1052 Empress Matilda1102–1167 Eric Bloodaxe895–954 Eric II of Norway1268–1299 Eric Magnusson1282–1318 Erling Vidkunsson1292–1355 Ferdinand II of Aragon1452–1516 Francisco Jiménez de Cisneros1436–1517 Frederick Barbarossa1122–1190 Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor1194–1250 Galeazzo II Visconti1320–1378 Genghis Khan1162–1227 Geoffrey Chaucer1343–1400 Geoffrey de Mandeville, 1st Earl of Essex1092–1144 George III1738–1820 George Plantagenet, Duke of Clarence1449–1478 Gerald de Windsor1070–1136 Giacomo Casanova1725–1798 Gian Galeazzo Visconti1351–1402 Godwin, Earl of Wessexdied 1053 Gruffudd ap Cynan1055–1137 Gunnhild, Mother of Kings910–980 Guy of Lusignan1150–1194 Gwenllian ferch Gruffydd1097–1136 Güyük Khan1206–1248 Haakon V of Norway1270–1319 Harald III of Norway1015–1066 Harold Godwinson1022–1066 Henry Beaufort1375–1447 Henry III of England1207–1272 Henry II of Castile1334–1379 Henry II of England1133–1189 Henry I of England1068–1135 Henry IV of England1367–1413 Henry of Blois1096–1171 Henry Percy (Hotspur)1364–1403 Henry the Young King1155–1183 Henry VI1421–1471 Henry VI, Holy Roman Emperor1165–1197 Henry VII1457–1509 Henry VIII1491–1547 Henry V of England1386–1422 Hoelun1142–1210 Hugh Despenser the Younger1286–1326 Hulagu Khan1217–1265 Humphrey of Lancaster, 1st Duke of Gloucester1390–1447 Hélie de Talleyrand-Périgord1301–1364 Ingeborg of Denmark, Queen of Norway1244–1287 Ingeborg of Norway1301–1361 Innocent IIIc. 1160s–1216 Irene of Athens752–803 Isabella I of Castile1451–1504 Isabella I of Jerusalem1172–1205 Isabella of France1295–1358 Ivan the Terrible1530–1584 Jacques de Molaydied 1314 Jacquetta of Luxembourg1415–1472 Jadwiga I of Polandc. 1370s–1399 James III of Scotland1451–1488 James II of Cyprus1438–1473 James IV1473–1513 Jamukha1162–1205 Jean Parisot de Valette1494–1568 Joan, Lady of Wales1191–1237 Joan Beaufort, Countess of Westmorland1379–1440 Joan de Geneville, 2nd Baroness Geneville1286–1356 Joan II of Navarre1311–1349 Joan of Arc1412–1431 Joan of Kent1328–1385 Jochi1182–1227 John, King of England1166–1216 John Beaufort, 1st Earl of Somerset1373–1410 John II of France1319–1364 John I of France1316–1316 John Mandeville1300–1372 John Marshal1105–1165 John of Gaunt1340–1399 John of Lancaster, Duke of Bedford1389–1435 John XXIII1370–1419 Jon Havtoressonborn c. 14th century Josce de Dinan1116–1167 Joséphine de Beauharnais1763–1814 Justinian Ic. 483–565 Kaloyan of Bulgaria1168–1207 Katherine Swynford1350–1403 Khutulunc. 1260–c. 1306 Knud Porsec. 13th century–1330 Konstantinos VIII960–1028 Kublai Khan1215–1294 Lady Catherine Gordon1474–1537 Leif Erikson972–1020 Leopold V, Duke of Austria1157–1194 Lionel of Antwerp, 1st Duke of Clarence1338–1368 Llywelyn ap Gruffudd1220–1282 Llywelyn the Great1173–1240 Louis IV of France920–954 Louis VIII of France1187–1226 Louis VII of France1120–1180 Louis XI of France1423–1483 Louis XIV1638–1715 Louis X of France1289–1316 Maffeo Polo1252–1309 Magnus IV of Sweden1316–1374 Mahaut, Countess of Artois1269–1329 Marco Polo1254–1324 Margaret Beaufort1443–1509 Margaret of Anjou1430–1482 Margaret of Burgundy1290–1315 Margaret of Denmark, Queen of Scotland1456–1486 Margaret of York1446–1503 Margaret Paston1422–1484 Marie Antoinette1755–1793 Martin Luther1483–1546 Matilda of Flanders1031–1083 Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor1459–1519 Mehmed II1432–1481 Michael of Cesena1270–1342 Muhammad al-Idrisi1110–1166 Muhammad XII of Granada1459–1533 Möngke Khan1209–1259 Napoleon1769–1821 Nest ferch Rhys1085–1136 Niccolò Poloc. 12th century–1294 Niketas Choniates1155–1217 Odoacer433–493 Olaf Guthfrithsonc. 9th century–941 Oliver Cromwell1599–1658 Owain Gwynedd1100–1170 Owen Tudor1400–1461 Perkin Warbeck1474–1499 Peter of Castile1334–1369 Philip II of France1165–1223 Philip IV of France1268–1314 Philippa Roet1346–1387 Philip VI of France1293–1350 Philip V of France1293–1322 Pierre Gringore1475–1539 Procopiusc. 5th century–565 Raheredied 1144 Raynald of Châtillon1120–1187 Richard II1367–c. 1400 Richard III1452–1485 Richard I of England1157–1199 Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick1428–1471 Richard of Shrewsbury, Duke of York1473–1483 Richard of York, 3rd Duke of York1411–1460 Richard Whittington1354–1423 Robert, 1st Earl of Gloucester1090–1147 Robert Curthose1054–1134 Robert de Beaumont, 2nd Earl of Leicester1104–1168 Robert III of Artois1287–1342 Robert of Jumiègesc. 11th century–1055 Robert Pennantdied 1168 Robert the Bruce1274–1329 Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar1048–1099 Roger de Clintonc. 11th century–1148 Roger II of Sicily1095–1154 Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March1287–1330 Rollo860–932 Romulus Augustusc. 460–after 507 Saint Winifred635–680 Saladin1138–1193 Sibylla of Jerusalem1160–1190 Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor1368–1437 Sigtrygg Silkbeard970–1042 Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester1208–1265 Stephen, King of England1095–1154 Subutai1175–1248 Suleiman the Magnificent1494–1566 Sweyn I of Denmark963–1014 Theodorac. 500–548 Theodoric the Great454–526 Thomas Beaufort, Duke of Exeter1377–1426 Thomas Holland, 1st Earl of Kentc. 1314–1360 Thomas le Despenser, 1st Earl of Gloucester1375–1400 Thomas of Lancaster, 1st Duke of Clarence1387–1421 Thorfinn of Hamardied 1285 Thorfinn Turf-Einarsson910–977 Turgut Reis1485–1565 Ulrich von Jungingen1360–1410 Victoria1819–1901 Vladimir the Greatc. 958–1015 Vytautas1350–1430 William FitzAlan, Lord of Oswestry1105–1160 William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke1423–1469 William II of England1060–1100 William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke1146–1219 William Montagu, 2nd Earl of Salisbury1328–1397 William the Conqueror1028–1087 William Wallace1270–1305 Władysław II Jagiełło1362–1434 Zeno425–491 Æthelred the Unready967–1016 Æthelstan895–939 Étienne Marcel1315–1358 Ögedei Khan1186–1241

Series

Series about Medieval Period (5 series)

Celtic World in Order

by Morgan Llywelyn 8 books 4.1

The Celtic World is a thematic sequence of novels moving from the migrations and sacred traditions of ancient Celtic peoples into the heroic cycles and medieval history of Ireland and Britain. Its subjects include the legendary origins of Ireland, the warriors of the Ulster and Fenian cycles, Saint…

Medieval Murderers in Order

by Susanna Gregory 10 books 4.1

The Medieval Murderers books are collaboratively written historical-mystery collections in which a single object, manuscript, legend, place or religious tradition links a sequence of crimes across different centuries. Each contributor follows the central theme through a separate episode, allowing recurring artefacts and unresolved secrets to acquire new meanings…

The Cole Trilogy in Order

by Noah Gordon 3 books 4.3

The Cole Trilogy follows three physicians from the same family across nearly a thousand years of medical and social change. The Physician begins in eleventh-century England and Persia, where Rob Cole crosses religious and cultural boundaries to acquire formal medical training. Shaman moves the family story to nineteenth-century…

The Dublin Saga in Order

by Edward Rutherfurd 2 books 4.0

The Dublin Saga follows several interconnected families through more than a millennium of Irish history, with Dublin as the changing centre of political, religious and commercial life. The first volume moves from pre-Christian Ireland through the Viking and medieval periods to the Tudor intervention; the second traces plantation,…

Books

30 Best Novels About the medieval period

Bestselling authors first, then star rating.

Non Fiction

43 Non-Fiction Books About the medieval period

Histories, biographies and reference works are listed separately from the historical novels above.