Hastening toward Prague

"In the first comprehensive study in English of Czech society and politics in the High Middle Ages, Lisa Wolverton paints a vivid portrait of a flourishing Christian community in the decades.". "A systematic dissection of a medieval polity, Hastening Toward Prague is based on a close rereading of written and material artifacts from the eleventh and twelfth centuries. Arguing against a view that puts state or nation formation at the heart of all analysis, Wolverton examines interactions among dukes, emperors, freeman, and the church on their own terms, asking what powers the dukes of Bohemia possessed and how they were exercised within a broader political community. Evaluating not only the foundations and practice of ducal lordship, but also the form and progress of resistance to it, she argues in particular that violence was not a sign of political instability but should be interpreted as reflecting a dynamic economy of checks and balances in a fluid, mature political system. Revealing the values and strategies that sustained the Czech Lands as a community, the study honors the complexity and dynamism of the medieval exercise of power."--BOOK JACKET.