The Middle Ages: A Graphic History (Graphic Guides)

This was on my recommended prior reading list for a uni course and I'm absolutely delighted with it. The more international overview of the medieval age is a refreshing alternative to similar popular history books that focus too much on what rich English men were doing. I want to know what's happening globally and what the women, the kids, the disabled people, the minority ethnic/religious groups etc are up to and luckily this title delivers. The illustrations are beautiful too and all in all it's a wonderful introduction to this period of history. Would recommend to anyone who'd like to know a bit more about this period in history but is intimidated by the big academic history books.

If you are stuck for the best present of the human being who has everything, then they are surely missing this fantastic book. Read it and your life will be changed for ever.

Love it!

What's the DEAL with the Middle Ages? This book tells you all you need to know so that you don't embarass yourself further on the subject that everyone thinks they know about but about which they actually know very little. Dr Janega knows - let her teach ya.

This book is so fun. Honestly, what more could you want. Amazing stories, fun and funny illustrations. It's totally brilliant.

too true but funny

As someone who had very little knowledge about the period, this was a bold, funny and insightful book, that covered surprising amounts of detail in relatively few pages.Taking the period chronologically, it explores key moments, people and themes that shaped the time period, and, in doing so, encourages us to look beyond the description 'The Dark Ages', which is sometimes used more disparagingly. Indeed, far more was happening during the time than is widely mentioned.Something that I also appreciated was how the book covered other topics within the period that you do not often see in historical overviews- the views of 'The Other'. There were sections on anti-semitism, homosexuality, gender and race within this book, and for me that made this book truly powerful- not only drawing connections between The Middle Ages and now, but also showing how those prejudices shaped those times then, and how they continue to shape current times now.I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Middle Ages: A Graphic History is a fascinating introduction to an interesting millennium of history by medieval historian Eleanor Janega who specialises in, amongst other topics, social history. She also hosts the 'Going Medieval' series on History Hit TV and runs a popular blog of the same name on intersections between medieval history and pop culture. Janega tells us about the Eurocentric and Italian ways that history has been told, seeing the very concept of time periods as an Italian, imperial kind of ‘infomercial’. The idea of the middle ages, she explains, is defined by the so-called collapse of the Roman Empire at its start and the rise of the Italian Renaissance at its end. It is a period rooted in claims of origin for so many modern nations, as seen by the English fixation on 1066. We also hear about how modes of travel and movement defined this period, from its roads and horses to its shipping lines and sailing logistics, and Janega discusses who does and doesn’t belong in this period, detailing a series of ‘others’, from women to Jews to queers. Not only does she focus on the key happenings and figures of this period, but she also looks at what life was like for the people living on societies margins.Like today the elite made up only a small percentage of the population and the vast majority of the population of medieval Europe were peasants or craftspeople. Other groups were forced to the very edge of society such as sex workers, leppers, jews and immigrants. But as Janega has found, there is a surprising amount to be discovered about these marginalised groups. What has emerged calls into question many of our assumptions and preconceptions about life in the middle ages. This is a compelling and interesting graphic history that constructs a generalised conception of what society looked like in late medieval Europe and the Holy Roman Empire specifically as well as the Near East. Written in a fun, engaging and accessible manner, this is a superb book targeted at a popular history audience and easily draws you in to often challenging topics by being conversational and entertaining. Recognised as an authority on Central European history, she specialises in the subjects of medieval history, social history, sexuality, eschatology, propaganda, empire, cities, sex work, preaching, Antichrist, the Apocalypse and time, and you learn a wealth of intriguing information in a few short hours. Highly recommended.