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Friendship in the Middle Ages carried a meaning far removed from the modern concept of a development of personal sympathies between individuals. It was cultivated formally and implied obligations and bonds of mutual support. In a society where, for example, party politics did not exist, friendship had a clear role in the formation of social networks and political organization. This volume brings together the work of scholars who have pioneered the study of friendship and friendship networks and demonstrates the role of friendship as a social institution with a direct impact on social and political life, and therefore offers another approach to understanding the social and political circumstances of medieval Europe.