Summary
This beautifully illustrated new color edition of the classic New York Times bestseller brings readers more intimately into the medieval world than ever before. From tales of chivalry and valor to the barbarity of the Inquisition and the devastation of the plague, no era has been a greater source of fascination and horror than the Middle Ages. With extraordinarily crafted prose, acclaimed historian William Manchester takes us on a vividly painted journey into the medieval mind. We travel from the depths of the Dark Ages to the heights of the rebirth that spawned some of historys greatest artists and thinkers--and that eventually ushered the West into the brilliance of the Renaissance. For Manchester, the man who best epitomized this new quest for knowledge in a changing world was Ferdinand Magellan, the great circumnavigator, whose inspiring story Manchester dramatically recounts, along with the stories of countless medieval men and women from every walk of life who influenced and changed the course of history.
William Manchester was born on April 1, 1922 in Attleboro, Massachusetts. After serving as a Marine in the Pacific Theater during World War II, he completed his B.A. at the University of Massachusetts and earned his master's degree in English from the University of Missouri.
He was a journalist for several years before becoming the managing editor of Wesleyan University's publications office. He spent the rest of his career at the University, serving in various roles including adjunct professor of history and writer-in-residence.
In addition to several novels, her wrote a number of historical and biographical works. Among them are The Death of a President, which won the Dag Hammarskjold International Literary Prize and American Caesar: Douglas MacArthur 1880-1964. His last major work was a three-part biography of Winston Churchill, entitled The Last Lion. He received the Peggy V. Helmerich Distinguished Author Award in 2000.
Manchester died on June 1, 2004, at the age of 82.
(Bowker Author Biography)
