Jacques Le Goff has gone April 1, 2014, leaving a considerable work, especially on the history of the Middle Ages. It is one of the largest French medievalists of the twentieth century and the "civilization of medieval Europe" is considered to be one of his major books if not the principal. This work is a fresco that describes Europe, the barbarian invasions (fifth-seventh centuries) to the economic boom of the late thirteenth century. In this teeming ensemble, perfectly mastered by Le Goff, what emerges perhaps most is the attention to representations, behaviors and even to use a term of the author, the "sensitivities". It was, however, a characteristic feature of this historian that to be interested in the history of mentalities. To do this, he relies on remarkably many original texts, in particular of medieval literature. This immersion in the Middle Ages, with guide Le Goff, is also served by a superb style, frequently - and perhaps paradoxically given the nature of work - full of humor (eg "The miracle in the Middle Ages, in lieu of Social Security "). The result is a work of exceptional interest and offering a great reading pleasure.
