Overview

Reflecting the vigour of both urban and medieval history, this timely textbook by a leading scholar of urban studies is a broadly interdisciplinary work that breaks new ground by emphasising the links between the late medieval and early modern cities. Urban Europe, 1100-1700: - Examines the common social, governmental, economic and intellectual roles played by most pre-modern cities - Views cities as originating in local market relations, then expanding with the growing complexity of their functions into regional centres of culture, government and exchange - Adopts an organic, evolutionary and environmental approach, particularly in its application of geographical systems to early urbanisation - Makes extensive use of maps and original source material to illustrate aspects of the urban experience David Nicholas' study will appeal to students and scholars of history, geography and urban studies. Sociologists and political economists will also value its demonstration of the continuing relevance of the thought of Max Weber, while urban planners will find its analysis of the rationality of pre-modern cities highly useful.

Full Product Details

9780333949832

Table of Contents

Reviews

'Urban Europe, 1100-1700 is a wide-ranging study of urban life and development in medieval and early modern Europe. It is well written, coherent and comprehensive, and undoubtedly benefits from David Nicholas' vast bank of knowledge concerning the urban environment of the medieval and early modern world.' - Penny Galloway, Bristol University 'In little more than two hundred clearly-written and well-organized pages (exclusive of index and bibliography), Nicholas has thus distilled decades of comparative research into a comprehensive narrative that functions both as a scholarly introduction to problems and methods, and a textbook suitable for students of history.' - Carol Symes, The Medieval Review '...compact, yet very comprehensive survey of the European city of pre-industrial Europe, which will be a welcome tool for teachers in urban history as well as a good introduction to anyone who wants to become familiar with the discipline.' - Michael Limberger, H-Net 'David Nicholas has already amply demonstrated his broad and impressive knowledge of medieval Europe's towns. In his latest book he takes a longer timescale, consciously rejecting the traditional division between medieval and early modern and indeed emphasizing a conviction that the whole period experienced an essential continuity of urban forms and structures that came to an end only with the Industrial revolution.' - Journal of Urban History - 2004 'In Urban Europe, Nicholas sketches the outlines of 'the most profound man-made alteration of the landscape in the history of Europe'... Naturally, parts of the canvas remain blank. All told, for a survey that ranges from Transylvania to Catalonia, and from eleventh-century comuni to Amsterdam's golden age, the level of detail is excellent.' - The Historian

'Urban Europe, 1100-1700 is a wide-ranging study of urban life and development in medieval and early modern Europe. It is well written, coherent and comprehensive, and undoubtedly benefits from David Nicholas' vast bank of knowledge concerning the urban environment of the medieval and early modern world.' - Penny Galloway, Bristol University 'In little more than two hundred clearly-written and well-organized pages (exclusive of index and bibliography), Nicholas has thus distilled decades of comparative research into a comprehensive narrative that functions both as a scholarly introduction to problems and methods, and a textbook suitable for students of history.' - Carol Symes, The Medieval Review '...compact, yet very comprehensive survey of the European city of pre-industrial Europe, which will be a welcome tool for teachers in urban history as well as a good introduction to anyone who wants to become familiar with the discipline.' - Michael Limberger, H-Net 'David Nicholas has already amply demonstrated his broad and impressive knowledge of medieval Europe's towns. In his latest book he takes a longer timescale, consciously rejecting the traditional division between medieval and early modern and indeed emphasizing a conviction that the whole period experienced an essential continuity of urban forms and structures that came to an end only with the Industrial revolution.' - Journal of Urban History - 2004 'In Urban Europe, Nicholas sketches the outlines of 'the most profound man-made alteration of the landscape in the history of Europe'... Naturally, parts of the canvas remain blank. All told, for a survey that ranges from Transylvania to Catalonia, and from eleventh-century comuni to Amsterdam's golden age, the level of detail is excellent.' - The Historian

Author Information

DAVID NICHOLAS is Kathryn and Calhoun Lemon Professor of History at Clemson University. His previous publications include The Transformation of Europe, 1300-1600 (1999).

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available