Americans have long viewed the Middle Ages with an emphasis on Chaucer and the French and Latin traditions. As a result, the later developments of European literature and history often take us by surprise. From our perspective, the Reformation, the birth of capitalism, and the new humanism appear as if from nowhere. The part missing is the history and literature of the German Middle Ages. While German and French publications in this field are common, the world of the German Middle Ages has not been addressed in English for many years. Filling the gap for non-German speakers, "The Orphan...