Ruby Sisson Library

From ancient Japan's most enduring tale, the epic fantasy-adventure is born. Keanu Reeves leads the cast as Kai, an outcast who joins Oishi, the leader of 47 outcast samurai. Together they seek vengeance upon the treacherous overlord who killed their master and banished their kind. To restore honor to their homeland, the warriors embark upon a quest that challenges them with a series of trials that would destroy ordinary warriors.

This course of twenty-four lectures examines the period know as the High Middle Ages (1000-1300). The first eight lectures cover medieval society. Lectures nine through sixteen examine the intellectual and religious history of Europe during this period. The final eight lectures cover the major political developments and events.

In newly conquered England, the years tha followed the Battle of Hastings were marked by violent turmoil. King William eventually responded to the constant uprisings of the Anglo-Saxon people by laying waste to the north of England. It was a brutal period of English history, which saw the introduction of feudalism, a proliferation of Norman churches and castles, and the completion of the remarkable Doomsday Book.