Medieval Lives

William Shakespeare is a name that every English speaking person has heard. He is considered to be the most famous English man, the greatest playwright in history and a literary genius. However, how much do you really know about Shakespeare other than the fact that he wrote Romeo and Juliet? Do you know what he really looked like? That he invented a lot of the words that you use when you write your next social media post?

This entertaining introduction to Shakespeare's work weaves biographical information with excerpts from 33 of his plays. Informative, well-researched commentary, written by two Royal Shakespeare Company actors, provides a glimpse of the man and little-known lore about his work.

In this intimate portrait of one of the Middle Ages' most consequential men, Brian Patrick McGuire delves into the life of Saint Bernard of Clairvaux to offer a refreshing interpretation that finds within this grand historical figure a deeply spiritual human being who longed for the reflective quietude of the monastery even as he helped shape the destiny of a church and a continent. Heresy and crusade, politics and papacies, theology and disputation shaped this astonishing man's life, and McGuire presents it all in a deeply informed and clear-eyed biography.

Born to a rich family, young Albornoz's father hopes he would pursue a military career. But to his disappointment, the boy displays more interest toward matters of the church, and in seeking understanding on what is right and wrong. Meanwhile, fisherman Edmond and his wife eke out a humble existence—until a surprising opportunity presents itself. Soon, their lives intertwine with unexpected consequences.

From one of the foremost medievalists of our time, a groundbreaking work on history and memory that goes well beyond the life of this influential saint.