Medieval Life (DK Eyewitness Books) [Hardcover]

Andrew Langley (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up

New Look! Relaunched with new jackets and 8 pages of new text!

The Middle Ages ran from the end of the Dark Ages to the Renaissance in the 15th century. This collection of superb photographs brings vividly to life rural and town life during that era - including the life of a peasant "tied to the soil," the power of the Church, and the rise of trade guilds. Starting with a description of the feudal system that existed in much of Europe, the book features artifacts, costumes, furniture, and building to illustrate daily medieval life. Discover the hardships of life on the land, as well as the magnificent tournaments of the royal court. Learn how food was prepared and served at a great banquet. See the illuminated chronicles kept by scholarly monks, and how master craftworkers used their skills to decorate the great cathedrals. Packed with fascinating facts, Medieval Life is a unique and compelling introduction to the people and culture of the Middle Ages.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-8?Like most of the books in this series, this introduction to the Middle Ages gives a clear picture of life and the times through a combination of brief text and an abundance of high-quality pictures with descriptive and informative captions. Beginning with an overview of the period and its societal structure, the book deals with various aspects of daily life among the different levels of society, the role and influence of religion, jobs, culture and the arts, health and disease, and a look forward to the coming Renaissance. All topics are covered in a double-page spread. The result is a clear, interestingly presented overview of medieval life. Details in the pictures such as an underlayer of clothing or the use of a variety of knives will intrigue children and help them gain a sense of life during this period. The excellent illustrations combine art reproductions and drawings and photographs of various objects. Children will find much to interest them here and the format encourages browsing; however, the visual and written information make this title also useful for reports and projects.?Jane Gardner Connor, South Carolina State Library, Columbia
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Kirkus Reviews

This sweeping visual presentation of medieval life in Europe demonstrates the strengths and weaknesses of historical titles in the Eyewitness series. A thousand years of European history are spanned in relatively few pages of briefly captioned, brightly colored photographs and reproductions. Any of these pages will make readers want to know more. (It will also make them wonder, ``How do we know that?'' without giving them a bibliography or other sources of further information.) Readers won't always know exactly what they're looking at: In a typical spread, entitled ``Holy Orders,'' there are photographs of objects from the 7th through the 13th centuries. The countries of origin are not always given; while some pieces are from the period, others look like modern reproductions. Many photos are just too small, e.g., the elaborate tapestry of the Hanseatic League is reduced almost to the size of a postage stamp. There are no maps, and the text is so abbreviated as to sound superficial: ``Peasants spent most of the daylight hours outside, so the drafts and little light from their unglazed windows did not trouble them.'' A book that's mostly for browsers. (index) (Nonfiction. 10-14) -- Copyright ©1996, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 72 pages
• Publisher: DK CHILDREN (August 2, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0756607051
• ISBN-13: 978-0756607050
• Product Dimensions: 12.2 x 7.6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #635,019 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Limited info, but great pictures, January 28, 2001

By 

yarden "yarden" (portland, or) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Eyewitness: Medieval Life (Eyewitness Books) (Hardcover)

DK eyewitness books are some of the greatest non-fiction books around. The distinctive white background and high-quality photography gives this book an edge over any other nonfiction picture book. And -- these pictures are real! They're beautiful museum-quality photos of all things related to medival times, accompanied by informative captions and text.

Learn about medieval life, from peasants to rich folks, their clothes, food, music, etc. The strength in this book lies in the photos, however, and this book isn't an exhaustive history of medieval times. Rather, it serves as a hook to interest people, and induce them to dig further, while giving them a bit more knowledge.

If you know someone (young or old) who is fascinated by medieval times, then you must introduce them to this book!

18 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 500-1500 = MEDIEVAL TIMES, July 25, 2005

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Medieval Life (DK Eyewitness Books) (Hardcover)

I AM IN GRADE 4 AND I LEARNED ABOUT THE MIDDLE AGES
IT WAS A GREAT GREAT UNIT BETTER THAN MATH AND ENGLISH
I GOT AN A PLUS ON MY TEST I JUST LOVE HISTORY.I DK BOOKS

14 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Eyewitness Books are the BEST!, May 31, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Medieval Life (Eyewitness Books) (Hardcover)

Knights, castles and medieval ways are vividly brought to life in this excellent book. Eyewitness books give you all the information you need in short text and captioned pictures...and they keep children's attention!