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New Books in Medieval History

New Books Network
Medieval History
Medieval Literature
Crusades
Christianity
Middle Ages
Magic
Holy Roman Empire
Astrology
Byzantine Empire
Norman Conquest
Poetry
Jesus
Translation
Dante Alighieri
Theology
Bede
Buddhism
Teutonic Order
Maimonides
Mongol Invasions

This podcast is a channel on the New Books Network. The New Books Network is an academic audio library dedicated to public education. In each episode you will hear scholars discuss their recently published research with another expert in their field. Discover our 150+ channels and browse our 28,000+ episodes on our website: newbooksnetwork.com Subscribe to our free weekly Substack newsletter to ge... more

PublishesTwice weeklyEpisodes604Founded5 years ago
Number of ListenersCategory
History

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Artwork for New Books in Medieval History

Latest Episodes

Eleventh-century Europe was diverse and fast-changing. Historians have often debated this change through two sets of competing arguments, one about the shifting role of the Church and the Papacy, and the other about the rise of castellan lords and a ... more

From their foundational era in 1097 to Saladin's conquest of Jerusalem almost a century later, the Crusader States transformed the Middle Eastern world. In an era shaped by many conflicts, this was not simply a war between Christianity and Islam, but... more

The practice of history in premodern Java was profoundly influenced by precarious conditions of textual production and preservation: fragile manuscripts perished in the tropical environment, archival records were scattered far afield, and historical ... more

Han Hsien Liew’s fascinating and insightful new book, Preaching Pious Rulership in Medieval Islam: Ibn al-Jawzi’s Political Thought (Edinburgh UP, 2026) offers a new way of understanding the political thought of one of medieval Islam’s most influenti... more

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Recent Guests

Wayan Jarrah Sastrawan
Historian, lecturer, and Decra research fellow at the Australian National University
Australian National University
Episode: Wayan Jarrah Sastrawan, "The Precarious Past in Premodern Java" (University of California Press, 2026)
Han Hsien Liew
Author, Preaching Pious Rulership in Medieval Islam, Ibn Al-Jawzi's Political Thought
Author, Cambridge University Press
Episode: Han Hsien Liew, "Preaching Pious Rulership in Medieval Islam: Ibn Al-Jawzi's Political Thought" (Edinburgh UP, 2026)
Marjolijn Bol
Author of The Varnish and the Glaze, Painting Splendor with Oil, 1100 to 1500
University of Chicago Press (book publisher)
Episode: Marjolijn Bol, "The Varnish and the Glaze: Painting Splendor with Oil, 1100–1500" (U Chicago Press, 2023)
Sara McDougall
Professor of History at John Jay College and the City University of New York; author of Justice for Jehanne, The Tale of a Medieval Survivor
John Jay College of Criminal Justice (CUNY); Princeton University Press
Episode: Sara McDougall, "Justice for Jehanne: The Tale of a Medieval Survivor" (Princeton UP, 2026)
Matthew Thomas Miller
Associate professor of Persian literature and digital humanities
Roshan Institute for Persian Studies at the University of Maryland
Episode: Matthew Thomas Miller, "Feeling like Lovers: Affect in Medieval Sufism" (U California Press, 2026)
Travis Bruce
Professor of Medieval History at McGill University, Montreal
McGill University
Episode: Travis Bruce, "Constructing the Medieval Maritime State: Identity, Violence, and Connection in the Mediterranean" (Oxford UP, 2026)
Dr. Roderick Beaton
Merzies Professor of Modern Greek and Byzantine History, Language and Literature at King's College London
King's College London
Episode: Roderick Beaton, "Europe: A New History" (Allen Lane, 2026)
Katie Barclay
Professor, author of The Kiss, A History of Passion and Power
Reaktion Books
Episode: Katie Barclay, "The Kiss: A History of Passion and Power" (Reaktion Books, 2025)
Elisabeth van Houts
Professor of European Medieval History
Honorary Professor of European Medieval History
Episode: Elisabeth van Houts, "Empress Matilda: Queen of the Romans, Ruler of the English" (Yale UP, 2026)

Hosts

Miranda Melcher
Host of The New Books Network interview series; frequently collaborators with scholarly guests across medieval history and related fields.
Kristo Dyniec
Contributor/host with recurring appearances, often guiding conversations on New Books in History and related medieval topics.
Jana Byars
Contributor/host with repeated involvement across episodes, focusing on medieval history topics.
Jue Liang
Host with role in New Books Network, contributing to medieval and related scholarly discussions.
Jingyi Li
Host for New Books in Japanese Studies; coordinates scholarly conversations on East Asia history and language texts.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#49
Hong Kong/History
Apple Podcasts
#121
Ireland/History
Apple Podcasts
#166
India/History
Apple Podcasts
#242
Israel/History

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Matthew Thomas Miller, "Feeling like Lovers: Affect in Medieval Sufism" (U California Press, 2026)
Q: What role does sama play in constituting the Sufi subject, and how do you connect musical ritual to meaning creation?
Sama is a central affordance for affective engagement; it creates an ambiance that enables the Sufi participant to access deeper levels of meaning and to become a capable subject within the practice.
Sara McDougall, "Justice for Jehanne: The Tale of a Medieval Survivor" (Princeton UP, 2026)
Q: What surprised you during the prosecution or the outcome of the cases?
She notes the unusual persistence of city authorities to pursue the case against mercenaries while Jehanne herself asked for a different form of justice, namely compensation, and that executions were ultimately avoided though not uncommon in medieval law.
Sara McDougall, "Justice for Jehanne: The Tale of a Medieval Survivor" (Princeton UP, 2026)
Q: What was the daily life like for a woman like Jehanne in Dijon at that time?
McDougall details the precarious status of single or migrant women, the varied work they did (midwifery, healers, cloth trades), and the risks they faced, including limited protections and potential domestic violence.
Sara McDougall, "Justice for Jehanne: The Tale of a Medieval Survivor" (Princeton UP, 2026)
Q: How did you approach translating and reconstructing the material from the 15th century?
She describes a process of preserving line breaks, capitalization, and punctuation in translation, balancing a literal transcription with extensive reconstruction and contextual explanation to keep the narrative clear for modern readers.
Katie Barclay, "The Kiss: A History of Passion and Power" (Reaktion Books, 2025)
Q: What are the big shifts in the modern era regarding consent and privacy in kissing?
Modern discussions emphasize explicit or contextual consent, non-public private spaces, and reading body language, reflecting Me Too-era norms while tracing their long historical lineage.

Audience Metrics

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Frequently Asked Questions About New Books in Medieval History

What is New Books in Medieval History about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Scholarly conversations centered on deep historical topics spanning medieval Europe, the history of science, religion, and global cross-cultural exchange. Episodes typically pair a leading academic with an expert host to unpack recently published research, drawing on primary sources, artifacts, and archival evidence. Common threads include gender and power in medieval societies, urban development and infrastructure, shifts in knowledge systems (from alchemy to practical arithmetic), and how literature, myth, and religion illuminate broader social dynamics. The show often highlights methodological rigor, interdisciplinary methods, and long-form storytelling that connects medieval worlds to contemporary debates in culture, politics, and ident... more

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1. The Medieval Podcast
2. Gone Medieval
3. The Ancients
4. The LRB Podcast
5. Past Lives

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New Books in Medieval History launched 5 years ago and published 604 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on New Books in Medieval History?

Recent guests on New Books in Medieval History include:

1. Wayan Jarrah Sastrawan
2. Han Hsien Liew
3. Marjolijn Bol
4. Sara McDougall
5. Matthew Thomas Miller
6. Travis Bruce
7. Dr. Roderick Beaton
8. Katie Barclay

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