<p>This... important single-volume survey of European economic history during the formative medieval centuries... belongs in the great French scholarly tradition initiated by Marc Bloch. Not only does this sensitive and complex analysis of economic and social life from the seventh through the twelfth century introduce the reader to a sequence of fascinating problems, but also it allows him to come to appreciate the inner workings of Duby's mind.... This book offers a detailed description of the changing character of agrarian life leading up to the 'take-off' of the 12th and 13th centuries. Leading aspects of the technology, the landscape, the demography, the diet, the climate, etc., are placed against the backdrop of emerging mental attitudes pertaining to money, burial customs, marriage, etc. Duby possesses the talent to translate socioeconomic detail into the stuff of everyday life.</p> (History: Review of the New Books) <p>This is a splendid book and confirms Georges Duby's standing as one of the best writers of historical synthesis among medievalists today. Few contemporary scholars have shown as much ability both to carry out detailed original research and to generalize about the findings of others.</p> (Speculum)