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A History of the Middle Ages: World Events from 400 CE to 1500 CE
Arcturus Publishing Ltd A History of the Middle Ages World Events from 400 CE to 1500 CE ABISBOOK Arcturus Publishing Ltd.
- GenresHistory
256 pages, Hardcover
Published January 7, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
January 31, 2026
This book appears to be well-researched and engagingly written for a relatively dry, unadorned history book. It begins with an apology for the difficulty in actually defining what counts for "the Middle Ages," particularly across cultures, with similar difficulties noted for what might count as the end of this period of time. This apology served as a good introduction to the setting of the book.
There were several things I liked about this book. First, it used an erudite and active style, making the relatively unexciting aspects easier to focus on. Second, it did not restrict itself to European history but attempted to describe pivotal events happening at about the same time in a variety of cultures. Finally, it pointed to similar developments in faraway places, such as the creation of printing in China using wood blocks and the invention of the printing press in Europe, both events of which enabled the wide distribution of writing (and knowledge) in practical and increasingly accessible ways in those cultures. These developments were not just military or political but also practical, drawing attention to not only the bloodthirsty and egotistic aspect of human nature but also the potential for growth and advancement.
At the end, it gave a brief timeline overview without restriction to particular cultures. This timeline was a good idea, as it served to summarize in the briefest way all that had been covered in the book.
While not exciting, it was interesting, and I really appreciated the reference to not only famous disputes and battles but also momentous creations that moved civilization forward. It might bore some people, but I was fascinated.
This book could be easily used as a reference book to give a bird`s eye overview of events happening in humanity if authors or researchers are preparing settings for events they want to focus on within human history, as well as we can guess at this time.
There were several things I liked about this book. First, it used an erudite and active style, making the relatively unexciting aspects easier to focus on. Second, it did not restrict itself to European history but attempted to describe pivotal events happening at about the same time in a variety of cultures. Finally, it pointed to similar developments in faraway places, such as the creation of printing in China using wood blocks and the invention of the printing press in Europe, both events of which enabled the wide distribution of writing (and knowledge) in practical and increasingly accessible ways in those cultures. These developments were not just military or political but also practical, drawing attention to not only the bloodthirsty and egotistic aspect of human nature but also the potential for growth and advancement.
At the end, it gave a brief timeline overview without restriction to particular cultures. This timeline was a good idea, as it served to summarize in the briefest way all that had been covered in the book.
While not exciting, it was interesting, and I really appreciated the reference to not only famous disputes and battles but also momentous creations that moved civilization forward. It might bore some people, but I was fascinated.
This book could be easily used as a reference book to give a bird`s eye overview of events happening in humanity if authors or researchers are preparing settings for events they want to focus on within human history, as well as we can guess at this time.
September 19, 2026
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
The middle ages is a difficult time period to tackle. Most of us assume that the Dark Ages refers to a time in which the world, especially Europe, was lacking much knowledge. The truth of it, from the perspective of this book as well as myself, is no, not quite. Rather, such a title comes from the turmoils people faced and the lack of record compared to other time periods in history that we have to go on.
The book does a great job of taking all of that (little) information of the middle ages and condensing it into something that is easy to follow. It is easy to get lost in such a wide world when tackling one time period, to keep track of all the red string and stay on top of what is going on. Jestice expertly takes pertinent incidents that coincide with each other and link them so you remain aware of what is happening in the world at the same time. On top of this, Jestice also provides a wider explanation of certain places that informs you of why they have may conducted business in a particular way or provide insight into their lack of action.
While I do not consider this book as providing something astoundingly new to the field, it does the important task of taking information that we have, all scattered in the wind and littered throughout numerous other works, and bringing it together so that people experienced or new to the field of medieval history can easily follow the complicated story of this time period. It is also written with a hint of flair that does not leave a reader feel as though are just reading facts on a page. Grappling attention when it comes to history is a daunting task but has become an exceptionally real problem. I have found a glimmer of hope with this book. It gives you just enough to not be overwhelmed but also not to feel lost. I would recommend it for anyone who wants a quick refresher or introduction into the medieval period not just in Europe, but globally.
The middle ages is a difficult time period to tackle. Most of us assume that the Dark Ages refers to a time in which the world, especially Europe, was lacking much knowledge. The truth of it, from the perspective of this book as well as myself, is no, not quite. Rather, such a title comes from the turmoils people faced and the lack of record compared to other time periods in history that we have to go on.
The book does a great job of taking all of that (little) information of the middle ages and condensing it into something that is easy to follow. It is easy to get lost in such a wide world when tackling one time period, to keep track of all the red string and stay on top of what is going on. Jestice expertly takes pertinent incidents that coincide with each other and link them so you remain aware of what is happening in the world at the same time. On top of this, Jestice also provides a wider explanation of certain places that informs you of why they have may conducted business in a particular way or provide insight into their lack of action.
While I do not consider this book as providing something astoundingly new to the field, it does the important task of taking information that we have, all scattered in the wind and littered throughout numerous other works, and bringing it together so that people experienced or new to the field of medieval history can easily follow the complicated story of this time period. It is also written with a hint of flair that does not leave a reader feel as though are just reading facts on a page. Grappling attention when it comes to history is a daunting task but has become an exceptionally real problem. I have found a glimmer of hope with this book. It gives you just enough to not be overwhelmed but also not to feel lost. I would recommend it for anyone who wants a quick refresher or introduction into the medieval period not just in Europe, but globally.
September 22, 2026
A History of the Middle Ages is a historical nonfiction book based on world events from 400-1500. I happen to love medieval history and found this book to be very fascinating and offered much new knowledge!
I appreciated that this book was a world view rather than just heavily focused on Europe as tends to be the case frequently. I was SO intrigued by Cahokia, one of the only pre-Columbian indigenous colonizations located near me in Illinois! Literally on par with Tenochtitlan! There is so much history that still needs to be uncovered and discovered right here in the Americas.
I love the short chapters/segments as it makes the information presented more digestible.
As would be expected, there is a lot of war which can get to be monotonous and starts to feel a bit textbook-like with the rote telling of battle after battle.
The pictures are amazing and there are many!
And of course, the plague. While only getting a short blurb in the book, the plague is monumental to the Middle Ages, decimating 3/4 of the population in certain regions of Europe.
I have a mad fascination with the Middle Ages due to its obscurity. There is so much unknown yet also there is a lot that is known and utterly fascinating. This book is a fantastic introduction into medieval history!
I appreciated that this book was a world view rather than just heavily focused on Europe as tends to be the case frequently. I was SO intrigued by Cahokia, one of the only pre-Columbian indigenous colonizations located near me in Illinois! Literally on par with Tenochtitlan! There is so much history that still needs to be uncovered and discovered right here in the Americas.
I love the short chapters/segments as it makes the information presented more digestible.
As would be expected, there is a lot of war which can get to be monotonous and starts to feel a bit textbook-like with the rote telling of battle after battle.
The pictures are amazing and there are many!
And of course, the plague. While only getting a short blurb in the book, the plague is monumental to the Middle Ages, decimating 3/4 of the population in certain regions of Europe.
I have a mad fascination with the Middle Ages due to its obscurity. There is so much unknown yet also there is a lot that is known and utterly fascinating. This book is a fantastic introduction into medieval history!
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews