Eleanor Constance Lodge's book, End of the Middle Age: 1273-1453, provides a detailed and comprehensive overview of a crucial period in European history. Through a combination of thorough research and engaging storytelling, Lodge presents the political, social, and cultural developments that shaped this era.

One of the strengths of the book is Lodge's ability to bring alive the key figures and events of the time. She skillfully weaves together primary source material with her own analysis to create a vivid picture of life during the late Middle Ages. Readers will come away with a deeper understanding of the complexities of this period, including the impact of the Black Death, the Hundred Years' War, and the rise of the Renaissance.

Moreover, Lodge effectively explores the shifting power dynamics in Europe during this time, including the struggles between the papacy and secular rulers, the rise of the merchant class, and the emergence of new forms of cultural expression. Her insights into the connections between political events and religious and intellectual developments are particularly enlightening.

While the book is packed with information, Lodge's clear and accessible writing style makes it an engaging read for both scholars and general readers. Overall, End of the Middle Age: 1273-1453 is a valuable resource for anyone interested in the history of Europe during this transformative period.

Book Description:
Eleanor Constance Lodge, , was the first woman to receive a Doctorate of Letters from the University of Oxford. In this short survey, the 180 years between 1273 and 1453 are characterized as a period of "transition--a time in which medieval characteristics were decaying and modern characteristics were growing up." This is the age of Joan of Arc, of the recovery of Spain from the Moors, of the failed Crusades of the Teutonic Knights, and of the union of Poland and Lithuania under the strong house of Jagello. The Swiss Republic rose, while schism divided the Papacy and the German states. And all the while the European powers were wrangling among themselves, the Ottoman Turks were advancing across the eastern Mediterranean. The book closes with the fall of Constantinople before the overwhelming assault by land and sea of the great general, Mehmed the Conqueror, which marked the end, after 1500 years, of the Eastern Roman Empire. - Summary by Pamela Nagami