The Early Middle Ages

This course, taught by Professor Philip Daileader, is an excellent introduction into the Early Middle Ages. It encompasses a period of European history that is sometimes overlooked, but, to me, is key in understanding the rest of European, and Western history, and the religious conflicts that arose during the time.The course is divided into 2 sections, the first half covers the period from about 300 to 650 AD, and the second half deals with the period from 650 to 1000.Studying the Middle, or Dark Ages, is crucial in understanding the structure of today's Catholicism and Protestanism.I recommend it to any serious bible student, although it is NOT a bible lecture series, it's secular.

Very good, informative presentation. Dr. Daileader keeps the lecture moving and holds your interest. Spends a great deal of time dealing with the late Roman period. I found this interesting, since typical high school/college history classes spend very little time dealing with transition from Roman to Medieval periods. Others might wish he jumped right into the medieval period, but I agreed with his method of presenting the material.Highly recommend this lecture.

After listening to "The High Middle Ages" (same lecturer and publisher) I listened to this series. It was not a disappointment. The lecturer is a very good speaker, is entertaining, and presents a wide range of material on the subject. The course is vast in scope but does a good job of not glossing over the material. It truly covers a broad range, starting with the fall of Rome and proceeding for about five centuries, covering an area of history that seems to get less than thorough treatment in typical K-12 coursework.

The structure of the course is clear and logical.Professor Daileader presents the material clearly and in a compelling and often humorous manner.I learned a lot from this course, and my experience with it motivated me to buy the next series, The High Middle Ages (same professor).I recommend this course without reservation.

As is usually the case, another excellent Great Courses lecture collection. This instructor has a wonderful dry sense of humour and an excellent way of explaining important concepts. He clearly loves his material and keeps the information fresh and interesting.

Thank you, Professor Daileader, for finally explaining how Europe went from Roman times to Early Middle Ages. I've always wondered about the invading hordes. Truly interesting. I listened to this quite some time ago and I'm ready to listen again.

How did the Roman Empire turn into something so radically different as Western Europe of the early Middle Ages, with knights, feudalism, barbarian kingdoms, serfs and illiteracy ? A fascinating adventure, and my favorite of all the Teaching Company classes I have listened to. That, and Prof. Daileader makes frequent jokes about historians. Love history ? This one is a must have .

I completely enjoyed this series of lectures. Each lecture takes approximately one half hour. They are easily followed. I could listen to a lecture everyday, as an example while commuting, instead of listening to the radio.When possible I took notes and studied related material p. I learned a great deal, both directly from the lectures and from the supplemental study. I considered this an excellent basis for further study. Thank You.