Available instantly

Hardcover
$25.87

Paperback
$12.00 - $19.51

$25.87 with 74 percent savings

List Price: $99.00

Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns

FREE delivery Thursday, April 24 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35

Or Prime members get FREE delivery Tuesday, April 22.

Only 1 left in stock - order soon.

$$25.87 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details

Ships from

Amazon

Sold by

RumiLLC

Returns

30-day refund/replacement

Payment

Secure transaction

Add a gift receipt for easy returns

$12.43

Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns

The book may have minor cosmetic wear like creased spine, cover, scratches, curled corners, folded pages, minor sunburn, minor water damage, minor bent. The book may have some highlights, notes, underlined pages. Accessories such as CD, codes, toys, may not be included . Safe and Secure Mailer. No Hassle Return The book may have minor cosmetic wear like creased spine, cover, scratches, curled corners, folded pages, minor sunburn, minor water damage, minor bent. The book may have some highlights, notes, underlined pages. Accessories such as CD, codes, toys, may not be included . Safe and Secure Mailer. No Hassle Return See less

FREE delivery Thursday, April 24 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35

Or Prime members get FREE delivery Tuesday, April 22. Order within 5 hrs 54 mins.

Only 1 left in stock - order soon.

$$25.87 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details

Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.

Enhancements you chose aren't available for this seller. Details

${cardName} not available for the seller you chose

${cardName} unavailable for quantities greater than ${maxQuantity}.

Sold by Kuleli Books and Fulfilled by Amazon.

Other sellers on Amazon

New & Used (119) from $2.36 + $3.98 shipping

Image Unavailable

Image not available for
Color:

To view this video download Flash Player

The Autumn of the Middle Ages Hardcover – March 15, 1996

Name: The Autumn of the Middle Ages: Huizinga, Johan, Payton, Rodney J., Mammitzsch, Ulrich: 9780226359922: Amazon.com: Books
Price: 25.39 USD
Availability: LimitedAvailability
Rating: 4.6 (71 reviews)

by Johan Huizinga (Author), Rodney J. Payton (Translator), Ulrich Mammitzsch (Translator)

71 ratings

See all formats and editions

{"desktop_buybox_group_1":[{"displayPrice":"$25.87","priceAmount":25.87,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"25","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"87","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"w9OQWvcggBA3t0iBCV8UPXb0nxcbj%2BHyAlbGk1u%2F%2BsK8eO3gtNM12QjP3lHYFSGJv5zrC0EHyM5%2B39Zi%2F7ar6AdMk7IrZBI3pshMFGLSzgInC%2BJ4urNNet%2BEZEhk8N6Hr24qnQ6kc27sbKiw3DCjvTrcMX4uzK0XYYf9JKuh3GLwY8FbsQjSu2eFytQWyala","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}, {"displayPrice":"$12.43","priceAmount":12.43,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"12","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"43","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"w9OQWvcggBA3t0iBCV8UPXb0nxcbj%2BHyyUzzV4Mvc47WL0Q7zFH1NJB1K%2FujzgQGxR2iNPWGphF9oT9RRmnggwBy8M%2BxE4igu2XXKrD0qhcQ2Z%2F3JbCQLi94jE5IdORVaZZTWEFpBZKCvpBgrLDHN%2F5ugpXTklPmcF93MmHApQ0cm8GsaXKtjv6N0LS03okx","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"USED","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":1}]}

Purchase options and add-ons

"Here is the first full translation into English of one of the 20th century's few undoubted classics of history." —Washington Post Book World

The Autumn of the Middle Ages is Johan Huizinga's classic portrait of life, thought, and art in fourteenth- and fifteenth-century France and the Netherlands. Few who have read this book in English realize that The Waning of the Middle Ages, the only previous translation, is vastly different from the original Dutch, and incompatible will all other European-language translations.

For Huizinga, the fourteenth- and fifteenth-century marked not the birth of a dramatically new era in history—the Renaissance—but the fullest, ripest phase of medieval life and thought. However, his work was criticized both at home and in Europe for being "old-fashioned" and "too literary" when The Waning of the Middle Ages was first published in 1919. In the 1924 translation, Fritz Hopman adapted, reduced and altered the Dutch edition—softening Huizinga's passionate arguments, dulling his nuances, and eliminating theoretical passages. He dropped many passages Huizinga had quoted in their original old French. Additionally, chapters were rearranged, all references were dropped, and mistranslations were introduced.

This translation corrects such errors, recreating the second Dutch edition which represents Huizinga's thinking at its most important stage. Everything that was dropped or rearranged has been restored. Prose quotations appear in French, with translations preprinted at the bottom of the page, mistranslations have been corrected.

"The advantages of the new translation are so many. . . . It is one of the greatest, as well as one of the most enthralling, historical classics of the twentieth century, and everyone will surely want to read it in the form that was obviously intended by the author." —Francis Haskell, New York Review of Books

"A once pathbreaking piece of historical interpretation. . . . This new translation will no doubt bring Huizinga and his pioneering work back into the discussion of historical interpretation." —Rosamond McKitterick, New York Times Book Review

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

In 1919, Johan Huizinga revealed in the original version of this book that the ideals, aspirations, and behaviors of humanity in history were dramatically different from those in present day. In Herfsttjj der Middeleeuwen, he recalled the waning years of the Middle Ages--the low countries in northern Europe in the 14th and 15th centuries--and argued against those who claimed that human belief systems remain the same even if contexts change. His account rested not on historical fact, but on the emotions and ambitions of the people as expressed through the art and literature of their culture. Many people treated the book as groundbreaking work, and it was translated into English in 1924. This new translation is a complete, more direct version of the original and allows modern readers a full appreciation of life in an era rarely revisited.

Review

This massive, gorgeously illustrated volume [. . .] offers a new translation of Huizinga’s classic supplemented by all sorts of useful and interesting material. It is in every way a superb production, beginning with Diane Webb’s translator’s note. If you know someone fascinated by the subject (especially someone you want to find a special gift for), you couldn’t go wrong with this. Of course, you might want to add it to your own library as well.

― First Things

From the Back Cover

So begins one of the most famous works of history ever published, Johan Huizinga's The Autumn of the Middle Ages. Few who have read this book in English realize that The Waning of the Middle Ages, the only previous translation, is vastly different from the original Dutch, and incompatible with all other European-language translations. Now, for the first time ever, the original version of this classic work has been translated into English. Herfsttij der Middeleeuwen, or The Autumn of the Middle Ages - the original title - is a brilliant portrait of life, thought, and art in fourteenth- and fifteenth- century France and the Netherlands. For Huizinga, this period marked not the birth of a dramatically new era in history, the Renaissance, but the fullest, ripest phase of medieval life and thought. Criticized both at home and in Europe for being "old-fashioned" and "too literary" when first published in 1919, the book is now recognized not only for its quality and richness as history, but also as a precursor to the Annales "histoire des mentalites" school of Marc Bloch and Lucien Febvre, two of the few reviewers who praised the book initially. In the 1924 translation, Fritz Hopman adapted, reduced, and altered the Dutch edition - softening Huizinga's often passionate arguments, dulling his nuances, and eliminating theoretical passages. He dropped many passages Huizinga had quoted in their original old French. Additionally, chapters are rearranged and redivided, all references are dropped, and mistranslations are introduced. This translation corrects such errors, recreating the second Dutch edition - which represents Huizinga's thinking at its most important stage - as closely as possible.Everything that was dropped or rearranged has been restored. Prose quotations appear in French, with translations printed at the bottom of the page. Mistranslations have been corrected. Payton and Mammitzsch also have added helpful material, including Huizinga's preface to the first and second Dutch editions (published in 1919 and 1921) and the one to the 1924 German translation, where he touches on the book's title and offers some thoughts on translations. Several notes clarify Huizinga's references to things which would be common knowledge only to Dutch readers. Huizinga frequently refers to paintings, sculptures, and carvings, some little known; this edition is the first in any language to include a full range of illustrations.

About the Author

Johan Huizinga (1872-1945) was a Dutch historian and one of the founders of modern cultural history.

Rodney J. Payton is a professor of liberal studies at Western Washington University. He is the author of A Modern Reader's Guide to Dante's Inferno.

Ulrich Mammitzsch (1935-1990) taught in the General Studies and Liberal Studies departments at Western Washington University and served as director of East Asian Studies.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ University of Chicago Press; First Edition (March 15, 1996)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 467 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0226359921
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0226359922
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 1.5 x 9 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #1,451,665 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #256 in Dutch History
- #2,604 in French History (Books)
- #39,567 in World History (Books)

Customer Reviews:
71 ratings

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Videos

Help others learn more about this product by uploading a video!

Upload your video

Customer reviews

71 global ratings

How customer reviews and ratings work

Review this product

Write a customer review

Customers say

Customers appreciate the translation of the book, with one noting it includes English translations in footnotes and another mentioning the inclusion of original documents. The historical content receives positive feedback, with customers describing it as an in-depth study of the Middle Ages, and one highlighting its detailed analysis of 15th century France.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Select to learn more

Translation History

5 customers mention "Translation"5 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the translation of the book, with one noting that it includes English translations in the footnotes section and another mentioning the inclusion of text from original documents.

"...It is fluent, poetic and probably transposes most of the highly acclaimed aesthetic qualities that Huizinga's writing is known for...." Read more

"A wonderful new translation of a great work, with a revised title...." Read more

"...This book is heavy treading. The quotations are printed in their original language, with a footnote at the bottom...." Read more

"...This translation of the book seems solid. It includes a lot of text from original documents, many in French, or Latin, but includes English..." Read more

4 customers mention "History"4 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the historical content of the book, describing it as an in-depth study of the Middle Ages, with one customer highlighting its detailed analysis of 15th century France.

"...Now I like this new title better. Great book for history lovers, and those who can still actually appreciate and enjoy reading academically meant..." Read more

"This indepth study of the Middle Ages was excellent. Requires concentration ...." Read more

"Wonderful introduction to end of the Middle Ages and rise of the Renaissance in North France /Low Countries area" Read more

"...No, it is a detailed analysis of Late Middle Ages culture - art, literature, religion, and lifestyles are all covered at great length...." Read more

Reviews with images

See all photos

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews. Please reload the page.

Skylark Scribe
Beware of "The Autumn of the Middle Ages"
Reviewed in the United States on August 3, 2012
Verified Purchase

The five stars are for the original translation titled "The Waning of the Middle Ages," first published in 1949. Amazon doesn't (and should) have a separate listing for "The Autumn of the Middle Ages," a 1996 translation that is drastically different from "The Waning." The original translation ("The Waning") was done with the author Johan Huizinga's participation and is superb. It is fluent, poetic and probably transposes most of the highly acclaimed aesthetic qualities that Huizinga's writing is known for. On the other hand, "The Autumn" (done by two Western Washington University professors and published in 1996) is flat, boring, and reads like a bad tranlation homework assignment.

I thought they were the same book when I ordered from Amazon -- there was no information to indicate otherwise. I only realized that "The Autumn of the Middle Ages" was a completely different version after I read the introduction. And a few pages into the main text, I simply couldn't continue. The translators might think they were doing their students a favor by bringing in a newer, fuller translation, but no amount of good intention can compensate for dullness. On the second try I correctly ordered the "The Waning of the Middle Ages" and instantly understand why it is a classic when I started reading it. So whoever made the same mistake as I did the first time, don't give up. Get "The Waning" instead and you will love it.

Read more

64 people found this helpful

Helpful

Report
Joe France
A Masterpiece of Historical Writing
Reviewed in the United States on August 31, 2019
Verified Purchase
A wonderful new translation of a great work, with a revised title. In the opening scene of the early 1970s weepy, "Love Story" Ryan O'Neil's character, Oliver, first meets Ali Macgraw's character, Jenny, in the Radcliffe Library (actually the Fordham Library where I went) and he asked her if they had, "The Waining of the Middle Ages?" That's the title I knew forever for this book. Now I like this new title better. Great book for history lovers, and those who can still actually appreciate and enjoy reading academically meant historical research that is neither dry nor dull.

Read more

4 people found this helpful

Helpful

Report
MHOhio
This indepth study of the Middle Ages was excellent. Requires concentration
Reviewed in the United States on May 22, 2016
Verified Purchase
This indepth study of the Middle Ages was excellent. Requires concentration . Has many insights into the beliefs of the people who lived at that time.

Read more

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Report
kristin
Great book
Reviewed in the United States on October 21, 2013
Verified Purchase
The book is in great shape. Can't wait to finish reading it. It was recommended by a Historian from Chile. He said it was the best book he read about the late Middle Ages in a long time.

Read more

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Report
scilla
Great
Reviewed in the United States on August 16, 2015
Verified Purchase
Wonderful introduction to end of the Middle Ages and rise of the Renaissance in North France /Low Countries area

Read more

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Report
S. Pactor
The Mind of the Middle Ages
Reviewed in the United States on August 17, 2005
Verified Purchase
In his histroiograhical tour of middle ages scholarship, Norman F. Cantor puts Huiznga in his "outriders" section at the back of the book. While he candidly acknowledges the populairty of the "waning of the middle ages" among undergraduates, he takes issue with Huizinga's scholarship.

I think Cantor does Huzinga a disservice, for I found "Autumn" to be eye opening both for its adept analysis and its innovative method. Huzingia is a fore runner of later developments in social history, both in France and the United States. He anticipates the field of "Cultural Studies" in his blend of source materials and thematic chapter arrangement.

It's hard not to think of Foucault as one meanders through three hundred pages of tossed off analysis if how people thought about allegories five hundred years ago in northern france. As Cantor says, Huzingia wrote this book with sources available in any "second tier library". Pretty much any criticism one might have of Foucault's scholarship one might apply here.

It is the speculative nature of Huzingia's scholarship that is both the greatest strength and weakness of "Autumn".

This book is heavy treading. The quotations are printed in their original language, with a footnote at the bottom. The translators have added end notes to explain the more obscure cultural references, but they are END notes, so of little use during the reading. This is not really a "read on the go" type of book. I found I had to focus on reading 20-30 pages a night for a couple of weeks.

Read more

22 people found this helpful

Helpful

Report
frank snyder
Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on April 16, 2016
Verified Purchase
FINE

Read more

Helpful

Report
Carlos Velasco
Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on March 24, 2015
Verified Purchase
Bravo!

Read more

Helpful

Report

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English

Weslley
Muito bom
Reviewed in Brazil on June 28, 2024
Verified Purchase

Obra prima

Read more
Report
Translate review to English
Anirvan Dasgupta
Vintage brilliance
Reviewed in India on July 1, 2018
Verified Purchase
Let me start by saying that this wonderful book has aged a bit and attentive readers will see the wrinkles. But it still remains a great rock for lost sailors in the vast ocean of medieval history. All the usual criticism directed against this book is undoubtedly valid, but that does not take away its merits. While pointing at the cultural peculiarities and their emergence, this book somehow fails to a deeper look into the teeming life of everyman. Nevertheless., we should remain grateful to the author for presenting a vivid picture of the court life and its eccentricities. Modern historians may murmur about the book's geographical bias, but history, I believe, is essentially local and this magnificent book, even if a bit grandiloquent at times, adds to the perceived wonder of the middle ages.

Read more
Report
ISD
Book: Middle Ages
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 7, 2012
Verified Purchase
A highly recommended book on the subject. He is undoubtedly a brilliant scholar. The book contains many French quotes, but, thankfully, all are translated into English. The work requires slow digestion, but good food for the intellect. The translators did an outstanding job here. A masterpiece indeed!

Read more
Report
drill
A profound historian who brings the past to life in ...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 23, 2016
Verified Purchase
A profound historian who brings the past to life in a disturbing way, pointing to the lunacy in our own life and world.

Read more
Report
Annabell
Great translation - useful read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 24, 2018
Verified Purchase
Really interesting read and the translation is good. I wanted it for my Art History degree studies but would be useful for any history student

Read more
Report

See more reviews

The Autumn of the Middle Ages Hardcover – March 15, 1996

Purchase options and add-ons

Frequently bought together

Customers who viewed this item also viewed

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Review

From the Back Cover

About the Author

Product details

Videos

Customer reviews

Review this product

Customers say

Select to learn more

Images in this review

Reviews with images

defected and soiled copy

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews. Please reload the page.

Top reviews from other countries

5.0 out of 5 stars Muito bom

5.0 out of 5 stars Vintage brilliance

5.0 out of 5 stars Book: Middle Ages

5.0 out of 5 stars A profound historian who brings the past to life in ...

5.0 out of 5 stars Great translation - useful read

Muito bom

Vintage brilliance

Book: Middle Ages

A profound historian who brings the past to life in ...

Great translation - useful read