PREFACE: History has no period which makes a more vivid appeal to the young reader than the thousand years which we call the Middle Ages. The purpose of this series is to relate this fascinating and heroic past to the present by telling the stories from the point of view of the contribution of the middle ages to the world of to-day. The heroes gain a new importance and the stories a new meaning by this treatment..... This early works is a fascinating look at the subject and will appeal greatly to students and teachers. Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to 1900's and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.