Huppert provides the best quick introduction to how European society _really worked_ before the industrial age. He starts with the village and the family, then moves to cities, elites, and the way things (slowly, slooooowly) changed.

The book does a great job of combining big slow processes with enough local detail that the reader stays interested. Based mostly on France, but his view applies to all of Continental Europe from 1348 to about 1800.

I'm a great fan of the French 16th century & bought this knowing little about the book. I consider myself well educated in French literature & history, but, this book is tough going and dry for me. For example, I have a basic understanding of humanism but could not debate Erasmus's constribution to this philosophy. You really have to know your stuff to read this.