1. Fairbank, John King and Merle Goldman. China: A New History (London: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 2001).
A comprehensive book on the history of China. The book offers a section on the Jurchen invasion.
2. Frankforter, A. Daniel. The Medieval Millennium 2nd edition (Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2003).
This textbook offers an in-depth look at Europe during the Middle Ages. There are numerous pages devoted to Peter Abelard's biography.
3. Hansen, Valerie. Voyages in World History (Boston: Houghton Mifflin,
forthcoming 2009).
Textbook that highlights the life and times of Heloise and Abelard of France and Li Qingzhao and Zhao Mingcheng of China.
4. Owen, Stephen. "The Snares of Memory." Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1986.
This is a wonderful chapter on the life of Li Qingzhao. This source discusses Li's marriage to Zhao Mingcheng, the collection of their antiquities, and the loss of both her husband and many material possessions.
5. Radice, Betty and M.T. Clancy Eds. "The Letters of Abelard and Heloise." Penguin Books, 2003.
This is an excellent source for information pertaining to Abelard and Heloise's relationship and letters.
6. Slaughter, Jane and Melissa K. Bokovoy. Sharing the Stage: Biography and Gender in Western Civilization. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2003.
This book contains background information on Heloise and Abelard as well as a great selection of their letters, which are used in the classroom activities portion of the unit.