Turning Points in Medieval

Until recently almost all histories of historiography have focused on national developments or at best introduced a comparative note from a limited Western perspective. Only in the last few years have there been serious attempts to transcend these borders. The present volume examines turning points in historical thought in a variety of cultures.The essays in the first half of the book deal with fundamental reorientations in historical thinking in the pre-modern period since Antiquity, specifically in ancient Greece and China and in medieval Christian Europe, the Islamic world and again China. The essays all proceed from the premise that historical thought in none of these cultures was static but underwent profound changes over time.The essays in the second part deal with historical writing beginning with the professionalization of history in the nineteenth century.

John Dryden claimed to share a kindred spirit, a congenial soul, with Geoffrey Chaucer, and he was not alone. Reading critics reading Chaucer, Stephanie Trigg makes us privy to the special communities-modeled on the pilgrimage to Canterbury-that rose up around the author as commentators through the ages sought spiritual or emotional intimacy with him.