Civilization During the Middle Ages - From the Dark Ages to the Renaissance

by George Burton Adams

The object of this book is to show how the foundations of our civilization were laid in the past and how its chief elements were introduced, and to depict its progressive development until it had assumed its most characteristic modern features. Its purpose is to show the movement and direction of historic forces, and the relation of the facts of history one to another. In other words, it is to present as clear a view as possible of what is the most important thing for all introductory study at least, and for the permanent intellectual furniture of most—the orderly and organic growth of our civilization. If anywhere the details have been allowed to obscure the general movement, there I have failed to realize my intention.

Genres: History

431 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 26, 2004

About the author

1851-1925

Reviews

[Harvey Levine · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this book ponderous and boring. There was too much heavy-handed exposition of facts and not enough insight into the workings of the minds of people from the Middle Ages.

The book begins with a long discussion, not of the Middle Ages, but of the Ancient world of Greece and Rome. The author assures is that this is necessary for an understanding of the Middle Ages, but after 100 pages of boring narrative, I was ready to give up on the book without ever getting to the Middle Ages.

A complete turn-off for me was the uncritical acceptance of Christianity as a dominant force for all the progress that civilization has made up to the present day. The author completely overlooked the atrocities committed by Christians in the name of Christianity, such as the Crusades, the Inquisition, and centuries of anti-Semitism that ultimately led to the Holocaust. If the author provided a balanced view of the good and bad that Christianity brought to civilization, his scholarship would not be so questionable.

[Peter Goldston · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting summary from a vastly different perspective than today's.

Explains things I thought I knew quite well in a new and more comprehensible style. Attitudinally out of style and quite racially biased but inoffensive so. A long but worthwhile read.