From School Library Journal
Carrie Lynn Cooper, Eastern Kentucky University, Richmond
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
Gr. 5-8. Readers of the impressive Life in the Middle Ages series will be struck first by the beauty of its design, then by the intriguing information. Each volume focuses on one facet of medieval life, and although there is inevitably a little overlap, reading one after another opens up a panoramic, cohesive view of the period. City begins with the fundamental question of where power lay in urban areas and looks at how the answer changed over time. Cities are viewed as places of learning, worship, construction, commerce, recreation, and family life, as well as disaster and disease. Countryside explains manorialism (the social system in which a lord granted land and protection to peasants in exchange for their labor) and distinguishes it from feudalism. The layout of a medieval village as well as its residents, their work, recreation, and customs are vividly described. The many period illustrations include medieval paintings reproduced in rich, heraldic colors. With decorative borders setting off sections of text, relatively large type, and generous use of white space, each page looks inviting. A glossary, a bibliography, and Web sites are appended. Carolyn Phelan
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