In this classic textbook history of early medieval Europe, Roger Collins provides a comprehensive account of the centuries during which Europe changed from being an abstract geographical expression to a new culturally coherent, if politically divided, entity. This essential volume: * examines how the social, economic and cultural structures of Antiquity were replaced by their medieval equivalents * defines the European context by looking at the external forces which helped to shape it through conflict * explores key topics such as the fall of the Roman Empire, the rise of both Christianity and Islam, the Vikings, and the expansion of Latin Christian culture into eastern Europe * features maps, genealogies, a chronology and bibliography to aid understanding and further study. This third edition has been fully updated, augmented and revised to take account of the latest scholarship and research on all aspects of the period it covers. The text has also been extensively rewritten to make it more accessible for students. Clear and insightful, this is an invaluable guide to an important era in the history of both Europe and the wider world.