A Marginal Economy? by Mark Bailey

A Marginal Economy? by Mark Bailey

A theory of the margin has long featured in the work of medieval historians. Marginal regions are taken to be those of poor soil or geographical remoteness, where farmers experienced particular difficulties in grain production. It is argued that such regions were cultivated only when demographic pressure intensified in the thirteenth century, but that a combination of soil exhaustion and demographic decline resulted in severe economic contraction by the end of the fourteenth century. Marginal regions are seen not just as sensitive barometers of economic change but as important catalysts in that change. Despite the importance placed by historians on the general theory of the margin, this book represents the first detailed study of a 'marginal region'. It focuses upon East Anglian Breckland, whose blowing sands are among the most barren soils in lowland England. Drawing upon a wide range of sources, this study reconstructs Breckland's late medieval economy, and shows it to be more diversified and resilient than the stereotype depicted in marginal theory.

Mark Bailey is the president of Dallas Theological Seminary, where he was previously a professor of Bible exegesis and vice president for academic affairs. He's also worked as a pastor in congregations in Texas and Arizona, as well as in Venezuela, Argentina, Hungary, and China. To Follow Him, The New Testament Explorer, and Prophecy in Light of Today are some of his writings.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780521365017
ISBN 10	0521365015
Title	A Marginal Economy?
Author	Mark Bailey
Series	Cambridge Studies In Medieval Life And Thought: Fourth Series
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Hardback
Publisher	Cambridge University Press
Year published	1989-06-29
Number of pages	368
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.