Medieval Europe

"History 102" with WhatifAltHist's Rudyard Lynch and Erik Torenberg

This episode of History 102 explores the European Middle Ages, its misunderstood aspects, technological and social advancements, and critical events. WhatifAltHist creator Rudyard Lynch and Erik Torenberg discover how the seemingly "dark" medieval era set the stage for the scientific revolution, the age of exploration, and the rise of modern Europe.

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Recommended Podcast: The Riff with Byrne Hobart

Byrne Hobart, the writer of The Diff, is revered in Silicon Valley. You can get an hour with him each week. See for yourself how his thinking can upgrade yours.

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6rANlV54GCARLgMOtpkzKt

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-riff-with-byrne-hobart-and-erik-torenberg/id1716646486

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TIMESTAMPS:

(00:00) Intro

(00:23) Setting the Stage: The European Middle Ages

(03:58) Misconceptions About the Middle Ages

(05:29) The High Middle Ages: Society and Innovations

(14:12) Feudalism and Social Structures

(28:34) Sponsor: Beehiiv

(29:17) Political Dynamics in Medieval Europe

(40:10) The Decline of the Middle Ages

(43:39) The Black Death and Its Aftermath

(46:53) Legacy of the Middle Ages

(1:01:29) Conclusion and Book Recommendations

(1:02:51) Wrap

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Recommended Books:

The Rise of the West: A History of the Human Community by William H. McNeill

A Short History of the Middle Ages by Barbara Rosenwein

The Time Traveler's Guide to Medieval England: A Handbook for Visitors to the Fourteenth Century by Ian Mortimer

A Secular Age by Charles Taylor

Europe Emerges: Transition Toward an Industrial World-Wide Society, 600-1750 by Robert L. Reynolds