The Troubadours

An engaging and accessible introduction to the music, poetry, and lives of the medieval singer-songwriters.

Composing songs of love and war in medieval Western and Southern Europe, troubadours spanned the social spectrum from powerful nobles to penniless minstrels. This book delves into the everyday worlds of these remarkable poet-musicians, famed for their innovative use of language and music as well as the lasting impact of their work on audiences then and now. The troubadours’ songs explored ideas about courtly love as well as medieval perceptions of gender, class, war, and chivalry. Linda M. Paterson examines the troubadours’ music, performance, and legacy, pairing fresh translations with the original texts to highlight the enduring beauty of their songs and poetry.

Linda M. Paterson is professor emerita at the University of Warwick. Her books include Singing the Crusades: French and Occitan Lyric Responses to the Crusading Movements, 1137-1336.