Medieval and Early Modern Studies, MA

About our staff: across five major fields of study, our staff author books, speak at events around the world, appear on television and radio, lead research projects, and advise national agencies. Our work outside the lecture theatre and the seminar room feeds back into our teaching, making sure you receive a cutting-edge Medieval and Early Modern Studies education.

You are not expected to undertake any pre-arrival tasks before you arrive at the University. We do encourage you to read some of our suggested survey texts below for your preferred period of study though.

Your welcome and induction will be w/c 16 September 2024 - we look forward to meeting you then.

Here is a selection of books that will introduce you to aspects of medieval and early modern studies. You may wish to read some of them before beginning the MA, but this is not compulsory.

• John Arnold, What is Medieval History? (Cambridge, 2007)
• Peter Brown, A Companion to Medieval English Literature and Culture, c. 1350-1500 (Oxford, 2007)
• D. Birmingham, Trade and Empire in the Atlantic 1400-1600 (London, 2000)
• Marcus Bull, Thinking Medieval: An Introduction to the Study of the Middle Ages (Basingstoke, 2005)
• Peter Burke, Popular Culture in early modern Europe (Abingdon, 2009)
• Christopher Gerrard, Medieval Archaeology: Understanding Traditions and Contemporary Approaches (London, 2003)
• M. Godden and M. Lapidge, The Cambridge Companion to Old English Literature (Cambridge, 2013)
• Mark Greengrass, Christendom Destroyed: Europe 1517-1648(London, 2014)
• John Moreland, Archaeology and Text (London, 2001).
• R. North and J. Allard, Beowulf and Other Stories: A New Introduction to Old English, Old Icelandic and Anglo-Norman Literatures, 2nd edn (Harlow, 2012)
• Nancy Partner, Writing Medieval History (London, 2005)
• Catherine Richardson, Tara Hamling and David Gaimster (eds.), The Routledge Handbook of Material Culture in Early Modern Europe (Abingdon, 2016)
• L. Scanlon, The Cambridge Companion to Medieval English Literature, 1100-1500 (Cambridge, 2009)
• Garthine Walker, Writing Early Modern History (London, 2005)
• Phil Withington, Society in Early Modern England: The Vernacular Origins of Some Powerful Ideas (2010)
• Keith Wrightson, A Social History of England 1500-1700(Cambridge, 2017)
• Earthly Necessities: Economic Lives in early modern Britain (New Haven, 2002)

It is useful to note that the University Bookshop offers 10% discount on most titles in print and have some price-beating book bundles. They also price match Amazon on core texts recommended in the module handbooks you will receive when you start in September.