A Short History of the Middle Ages

Rating:
Summary: Beautifully illustrated, wonderfully concise, grating tone
Review: This book is written to provide an brief introduction to medieval Europe. It accomplishes its intent very well in giving a skeletal structure, providing context for highlights from around 300-1500 AD (or CE for those who think that this era is common enough for all). As well as Western Europe, a fair amount of attention is given to Byzantium and to the Islamic lands. Besides the narrative, the book is filled with charts, maps and color prints that should delight the novice and the serious student alike.

However, there are a few things that force me to deduct stars from the rating. While the choice of topics for the narrative is good, I find the narrative itself somewhat annoying. There seems to be a certain sarcasm underlying much of the writing. I don't mind histories that try to keep an element of humor. But for this book, just after the first few pages it felt like the author does not respect the medieval culture and religion enough to try to seriously understand it. Flippant and dismissive remarks, particularly concerning religion unfortunately cast a shadow on credibility.

Now don't get me wrong, this is a nice little book: valuable for its maps, illustrations, bare-bones presentation of facts -- the survey it intends to be. I just wish the author struck a more balanced tone in the commentary.