Books in the European Culture and Society series

Urban life was indeed the making of medieval Europe. Drawing upon original research, as well as the work of medieval historians, urban archaeologists and historical geographers, Keith Lilley explores the close relationship that existed between the life of towns in the Middle Ages and the life within towns.

The core chapters investigate:- the function of women in the countryside and towns- the role of women in the ruling and landholding classes- women within the context of religion. This practical centre of the book is embedded in an analysis of contemporary, usually male-voiced, gender theories and society's expectations of women.

The years between the American Revolution of 1776, the French Revolution of 1789 and the European Revolutions of 1848 saw fundamental shifts from autocracy to emerging democracy. It is a vital period in what may be termed 'modernity': that is of the western societies that are increasingly industrial, capitalist and liberal democratic. Unsurprisingly, these years of stress and transition produced some significant reflections on politics and society.This indispensable introductory text considers how a cluster of key thinkers viewed the global political upheavals and social changes of their time, covering the work of:* Edmund Burke               * Georg Hegel * Thomas Paine               * Alexis de Tocqueville* Jeremy Bentham            * Karl Marx and Friedrich EngelsLively and approachable, it is essential reading for anyone with an interest in modern history, political history or political thought.

Waite reveals how the early-modern period's religious conflicts led to widespread confusion and uncertainty, against which alleged disbolical conspiracies served to reaffirm orthodoxy. Waite argues that it was only when the authorities came to terms with religious pluralism that there was a corresponding decline in witch panics.

The study of modern racism has tended to treat anti-Semitism and anti-black racism as separate and unconnected phenomena. By weaving together the changing spatial and temporal dimensions of anti-Semitic and anti-black prejudice the study provides a fresh and more global framework for understanding modern racism.