This is an account of the 1000 years between the fall of the Roman Empire and the dawning of the Renaissance. Written by a team of leading scholars, the text ranges from the empires of the Byzantines and Charlemagne to the complex system of kingdoms and city states that made up Europe on the verge of overseas expansion. Capturing the chivalry, faith, and curiosity of the period, the book also examines developments in trade, science, warfare and the arts.