Rating: 
Summary: Unparalleled
Review: Without a doubt one of the best history books I've ever read. The writing is superb -- and the level of detail is just right -- between anecdotal and exhaustive. I wouldn't call it a reference book, but for an understanding of the period and an overall introduction to Continental Late Medieval Period, there is no better book.
Rating:
Summary: A Real Eye Opener
Review: While "A Distant Mirror" uses the life of a certain French noble as a thread of continuity, it goes beyond his biography. It is a thick, exhaustive tome of scholarly research which details the main events of 14th century Western Europe and England. The main themes are 1) the corruption of the nobles and the Church, 2) the wars of England upon France, and the soldiers who subsequently became mercenaries who continued to ravage France, and 3) the Black Death, which wiped out about half the population of Europe in succeeding waves over 50 years. The description of the populace's reaction to the plague was particularly interesting - people at first thought it was a scourge from God and the end of the world was at hand. Then as it hit again and again and the world didn't end, they drew their own conclusions.
Rating:
Summary: A mirror of the twentith century
Review: Mrs. Tuchman's book shows the 14th century one of the most pivotal in European history. Through her narrative she tells the life of Enugerrand the Sire de Coucy one of the pivotal but least studied figures of the era. In this book readers will see not only the beginings of the nihilistic tones of our own century but the stirrings of the comman man against repression that sparked our own revolution. She weaves an impressive tapestry of war, peace, double dealing, death, and misery that would do the weavers of Ghent proud. Of all her books this one is the most far reaching and the best written. I'd recomend this for anyone who wants to see the big picture of history, from rise of the middle class, to the nihilistic fantasies spurred on by the free companies and the black death. As an added bonus she tells the sinister origin of our Santa Claus
Rating:
Summary: A great read, fascinating times..
Review: Our all time favorite history book, a well-written history of western civilization between 1300 and 1450. Tuchman writes in a way that makes this an enjoyable read. She doesn't paint a pretty picture, for mankind was dealing with the expectations of chivalry, the rise and development of Christianity, the Plague, numerous battles (the 100 Years War, the Inquisition, the Crusades), not to mention the difficulties of ordinary life. One reviewer complained that the book had too much about battles in it -- unfortunately, the struggle for power and land-ownership was what mattered most in this time period. It was not a generally peaceful time to be alive. This book is considered a classic now. If you are interested in this time period, and haven't read this book, it's a great place to begin!
Rating: 
Summary: "A Close Up Microscope" - more appropriate title
Review: Way too much "battle" info for me. Every battle in every city is gone over naming every player involved. I was hoping to come away more informed about the era via a great story. But not being familiar with the French cities and names recited throughout this litany, I was lost. I listened to 9 tapes before I finally turned it off and gave up waiting for the fighting to end or at least be woven into some kind of story. I would not recommend unless you are attracted to a boring classroom atmosphere of education.
Rating: 
Summary: Overrated
Review: While this book has some fascinating detail of the 14th century, I don't agree that it is the most "readable volume on this subject." Tuchman goes off on tangents which make the book difficult to follow and easy to put down.
Rating:
Summary: Better than fiction
Review: One of the best books I ever read. This book is the proof that, when well written, true story can be more interesting than fiction. Witty, entertaining and sometimes sarcastic.There is far more beyond the story of the Sire de Coucy, the central character of the book. The book offers a very close look at Medieval Europe and one cannot escape a thought that it also offers a look at the world around us today. As we are lead through the Middle Ages we realize that human nature has not changed.
Rating:
Summary: The Most Readable Volume on the Subject
Review: Barbara Tuchman is a great guide for readers beginning their voyage into medieval history. This is also a marvellous period, in terms of action, romance and great events, with which to begin such a journey. I would also urge readers who are spurred on to further investigation, to read the seminal text from which much of Tuchman's work is based, the Chronicles of Jean Froissart. Froissart was one of the great raconteurs of any age. He was basically the Herodotus and Homer of his era. The Amazon reviewer might have noted that Enguerrand's disposition towards the peasants under him was dictated to him by one of the truly cataclysmic events of the era. The uprising of the Jacquerie created a hitherto unknown fear and unease on the part of the aristocratic order of the time, to such a degree that reprisals and attitudes were indeed shaped for generations to come. But one must read Froissart to reach a true appreciation of the scope and social repercussions of that horrifying event. The Jaquerie were bent on total devestation of the upper classes and carried out their revolution in countless acts of rape, murder, infanticide and any other mayhem they could engender. Enguerrand was seen as an avenging Angel by his contemporaries. The lords, barons and knights were not merely defending their order, but their lives. This is Tuchman's finest accomplishment, in terms of rendering historical drama and in the cohesive quality of the details she marshals to illustrate her story. It really was not just a calamitous, but quite a remarkable century in terms of the wars that were fought, the leaders of France and England that fought them and the hardships the nobles and the commons all endured. It definitely was not an era for the timid or the weak either in body or in spirit. I guarantee that if you read this work, which is as exciting as any novel, you will want to read the chronicles as well.
Rating:
Summary: A Distant Mirror
Review: I read this book in 1989 and it has had a profound effect on how I view the Middle Ages and indeed how I understand history in general. It really is a fascinating book, so intelligent and very readable. I cannot recommend it highly enough.
Rating:
Summary: Next best thing to living c. 1300!
Review: I can't recommend this book highly enough. Barbara Tuchman obviously had a really good time in the 14th century, and you get to have a good time, too. I challenge you to find a more vivid and complete picture of this period, one as free of bias as this, or one as well written. I first read this book 12 years ago, and when I search bookstores for "popular" history, this book is still my standard.
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