Those Terrible Middle Ages: Debunking the Myths

Rating:
Summary: "History does not furnish any solution...
Review: ...but it permits--and it alone permits--us to pose the problems correctly."

This book is not only a wonderful debunking of the popular myths used to define the Middle Ages, but, in the last chapter, a wonderful justification of the importance of the study of history (though if you are interested in reading this book then you probably already believe in history's importance).

The entire work is wonderfully researched and, even through the admitedly sometimes rough translation, Pernoud's passion for her subject is obvious. The book is both informative and entertaining, and it is a wonderful book to use to introduce oneself to the subject of the Middle Ages while avoiding the negative mythology of that era that is expounded in public school or other books (such as A World Lit Only by Fire).

The Middle Ages were not, as often is thought, a horrible period marked by ignorance, famine, plague, and constant war. At least no more than any other period is marked by those things. This book clearly proves that point and does it in a fantastically entertaining way.

Rating:
Summary: A rousing defense of the Middle Ages
Review: Regine Pernoud stoutly defends this most maligned of historical periods in this splendid book. She clearly shows how mistaken are the ideas about the middle ages as a period of ignorance and superstition. She writes eloquently about the glories of the middle ages, the wonderful cathedrals and abbeys, illuminated manuscripts, music and poetry. She shows how nonsensical is the myth of the 'renaissance' the alleged rediscovery of classical learning. The peopleof the medieval period were quite familiar with classical authors, they simply didn't feel the need to copy them slavishly, unlike the people of the supposedly enlightened period that followed. Nor was the Middle Ages a period of static social order, as she points out, the son of goatherds became a Pope. A very revealing passage describes how the old medieval mystery plays, performed by the guilds, were outlawed due to the jealousy of the professional theatre, actors disliked the idea of 'common people' being allowed to act for the benefit of other common people. The famed 'renaissance' was actually a period of regression, when the common people were deprived of liberties they had enjoyed in previous centuries, and the position of women in particualr became very much more restricted due to the influence of classical misogyny. This is a terrific book, take advantage of Amazon's offer and buy this with Women in the Age of the Cathedrals, they are both marvellous books.

Rating:
Summary: A Wonderful Book: Debunking the Reviews
Review: This volume sheds valuable light on a much misunderstood and maligned era in history. I would like to point out that all the other reviewers have liked the book, but one gave the admittedly at times rough *translation* a one-star review, which has misleadingly lowered the collective average. To gain a new perspective on this age with this book will certainly be worth discreetly overlooking the translator's occasional indiscretions.