Feudal Society, Volume 1: The Growth of Ties of Dependence

One of those "ought to read" books for medievalists, though now perhaps more for its standing as the inspiration of much subsequent debate on feudalism than for its actual content. Some of Bloch's arguments have held up and have been used by later historians, but there's much here that's dated (his discussion of female lordship, for instance, or how he uses documentary evidence) or based on assumptions (Germanic kin structures, for instance). However, one still can't fault his main point that during the various stages of its development, feudalism was all about a tangle of politics and kinship.

This is an outstanding book for gaining an understanding of Feudal Society. It is a classic in its field, over 60 years old, but should be read because it is the best book I have found on this period.

The one weakness in the e-book edition is that the editing is atrocious with countless typos.

A classic of the Annales school, perhaps now a bit dated but very vivid in conveying the life of the period