Reading Medieval Studies Volume 32This volume comprises the publication of a one-day conference held at the University of London (School of Oriental and African Studies) on 19th November 2005. The title of this volume is borrowed from Jan Aarte Scholte, who uses 'incipient globalization' to describe what he sees as the second historic stage of globalization: the period between the 1850s and 1950s, when means and modes of communication such as the telegraph, radio, television, aeroplanes and cars were developed.