What Non-RPG Books do people find useful for Ars Magica?

[Cartogriffi]

@Erik Tyrrell

But the one book that I kicked myself for not reading earlier was a medieval history textbook.
A few years ago I picked up my wife's old textbook from the basement bookshelves and I was blown away. Here, laid out in preposterously simple readable English, was everything that I had wished someone had told me and all of the information that the other authors had assumed that I'd know already. My advice is go find a book designed for medieval history 101 and was designed to engage lusty, distracted, short attention span, 19 year old kids who are really interested in getting a degree in music or engineering and see the class as a hoop to jump through rather than an opportunity to learn and then read this book and benefit from the great effort that the authors have gone through to make the subject accessible and entertaining.

I read Medieval Europe, a Short History by C. Warren Hollister http://www.amazon.com/Medieval-Europe-C-Warren-Hollister/dp/0072955155/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1295789031&sr=1-3 (the URL is for the tenth edition I read a significantly older one, and honestly I doubt that they'll be much difference with concern to Ars Magica between an edition from the 80's or 90's and the current one, you'd be wise to look for an older copy and save a few bucks.)

I just got the tenth edition and it’s very nice. The maps tend towards the general, and I would have liked more time lines, but they’re still very well done. I haven’t had a chance to read much other than some of the sidebars but what I’ve read has impressed me. Thank you for the recommendation

[DIREWOLF75]

But the one book that I kicked myself for not reading earlier was a medieval history textbook.
A few years ago I picked up my wife's old textbook from the basement bookshelves and I was blown away. Here, laid out in preposterously simple readable English, was everything that I had wished someone had told me and all of the information that the other authors had assumed that I'd know already. My advice is go find a book designed for medieval history 101 and was designed to engage lusty, distracted, short attention span, 19 year old kids who are really interested in getting a degree in music or engineering and see the class as a hoop to jump through rather than an opportunity to learn and then read this book and benefit from the great effort that the authors have gone through to make the subject accessible and entertaining.

How come you didnt get to read something like that in school? IIRC we did something like that as part of 7th or 8th grade even if our textbook wasnt just on medieval Europe.

I read Medieval Europe, a Short History by C. Warren Hollister amazon.com/Medieval-Europe-C ... 031&sr=1-3 (the URL is for the tenth edition I read a significantly older one, and honestly I doubt that they'll be much difference with concern to Ars Magica between an edition from the 80's or 90's and the current one, you'd be wise to look for an older copy and save a few bucks.)

A bit mediterranean/Rome-centric from what i could see via the link.

Does make me wonder if there´s any standard textbooks out yet that have dared to move away from that perspective....

[Ben_McFarland]

@Richard Love

If looking for suggestions for which particular book, have a look at your local university's introductory medieval courses. The university should probably have information freely available (on the web?) on the set texts for the courses, and if it is a university course text you will be bound to find cheap copies in your local second hand bookshops.

There's this, too, for online resources.

-Ben.