With fact-filled A-to-Z entries on the events, figures, and ideas of the period that stretched from the collapse of the Roman Empire to the dawn of the Renaissance, this volume provides students, history buffs, and casual readers with excellent research material.Among the topics covered are: -- The burgeoning feudal society, which formed the basis of a stable economic community-- The Magna Carta, which presaged later discussions of individual rights-- The growth of the Islamic Empire-- The development of Christianity and the Crusades