The Yellow Cross : The Story of the Last Cathars' Rebellion Against the Inquisition, 1290-1329

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Summary: The Folks We Know the Best from the Middle Ages
Review: Be forewarned: This is not a book for people who know nothing of the Middle Ages, the Inquisition, the Cathars or the small Langdocien village called Montaillou. If you are one of those, plese do yourself a favor in seeking out 'Montaillou' by Emmanuel le Roy Durie first. Drawinf extensively on Inquisition documents (in their original latin) as well as his own research sur place, Mr Weis offers an astounding plunge into the everyday lives of people like you or I in the 13th century. Through a fluke of history, the implantation of a heresy known as Catharism or Albighensiesm in this small village, we know more about it, mu_ch more, than any other town, large or small; from the time. The ever-vigilant eye of the Inquisition fell upon it for a couple of decades, leaving a treasure trove of infomation for enterprising scolars like Weis. Who lived where, who slept with whom? Why? Who ate what? A priori, not the stuff of exciting crime fiction, but given the elevated stakes (no pun intended, burning at the stake was an everyday reality for these humble people!) Do yourself a favor. Get to know them. For me these folks are as real as my physical neighbours, and my life is all the richer for it. Do yourself a favour. Buy this book and give it time. For the properly prepared reader, it offers a world of richness to savour and savour again!