The Penguin Historical Atlas of the Medieval World [Mass Market Paperback]

Andrew Jotischky (Author), Caroline Hull (Author), Simon Hall (Editor), John Haywood (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0141014490 | ISBN-13: 978-0141014494 | Publication Date: October 25, 2005

The Penguin Historical Atlas of the Medieval World traces the development of peoples, cultures, and faiths between the coming of the barbarian invasions in the fourth century and the first voyages to the New World in the sixteenth. This colorful atlas illustrates the sweeping changes from the fall of the Roman Empire to the birth of Islam, the rise of Christianity, and the role of Judaism across Europe. Packed with vivid maps and photographs, this atlas is a perfect guide to Europe and its neighbors in the Middle Ages.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Andrew Jotischky is senior lecturer in medieval history at Lancaster University in the United Kingdom. He is the author of several books on medieval monasticism and the Crusades.
Caroline Hull has taught art history and medieval history at the universities of Manchester and Lancaster.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics) (October 25, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0141014490
• ISBN-13: 978-0141014494
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 7 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #56,821 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #40 in Books > History > Historical Study > Reference
  • #51 in Books > Education & Reference > Atlases & Maps > Atlases

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fast and handy, March 8, 2009

By 

Cristiano Nisoli (Los Alamos NM, USA and Lombardy, Italy) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Penguin Historical Atlas of the Medieval World (Mass Market Paperback)

I bought this atlas not as a study aid, but for general reading. Indeed it makes for a good review of medieval history.

The atlas is as complete as it can be, given that it is only 144 pages. It is mostly centered around medieval Europe, and more on Latin Europe - the west- that on the greek world.
The arab world, and to a lesser degree the far east, are documented as well, mostly in function of their interaction with Europe. Of course the denomination "medieval" in itself applies mostly to the history of western Europe.

A useful synoptic chronological table precedes the maps and compares the timelines of latin Europe, greek Europe, middle east and far east. Maps are well done and organized in chapters preceded by insightful yet slim introductions.

I found it very suitable to my needs: it provides an entertaining read and a good review of the period.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Medieval History, February 17, 2008

By 

Nilsa Rivera Colon - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Penguin Historical Atlas of the Medieval World (Mass Market Paperback)

This Atlas is good for the study of the medieval world. But I consider this atlas need more maps. For example, the battle for Scotland to obtain the independence; also, the mongol empire in times of Genghis Khan and Kubblai Khan.

4.0 out of 5 stars A Visual Glimpse into the Medieval World, October 30, 2011

By 

Rebecca Graf (South Dakota) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Penguin Historical Atlas of the Medieval World (Mass Market Paperback)

Studying the Medieval world can be exciting and rather daunting. The Middle Ages is a large span of European history. When reading about this very important time period, you need reliable and worthy resources such as The Penguin Historical Atlas of the Medieval World
by your side.

This book by Andrew Jotischky and Caroline Hull is not a six hundred page account of the popes, emperors, and the plague. It is a vivid companion to those books. Let us take a tour of it.

Bold Colors and Graphics

Children are not the only ones that enjoy colorful pictures in their books. Adults tend to gravitate toward these, too. I am not talking coffee table books here. This book includes pictures of artwork, archeological scenes, and colorful maps to help support every section. Instead of just describing the medieval economy, this book gives a very busy map of Europe that shows how the economy interflowed between states along with all the major cities and trading routes. I found it really useful as I was reading the six hundred page book with no graphics what so ever. I would be reading about the Reconquest of Spain and turn to page 109 of the book to see a colored Spanish map visually teaching me the various stages of the event.

Timeline

Timelines are great aids especially when they are in depth. You will find in this book a detailed timeline that does more than cover medieval Europe. It reveals what was happening in the Muslim world and the whole world as a whole. It breaks out western and eastern Europe and lists religious and cultural events separately. In truth, it helps put a medieval event into perspective.

Four Parts

The authors divided the Middle Ages into four parts: The Early Middle Ages, The Revival of Europe, Latin Europe and its Neighbors, and The Latter Middle Ages. Each of these sections is divided into seven to twenty-four subsections. The average subsection is only two pages long with succinct wording.

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A great addition to this book is the dynastic tables at the back end of the book. If you want to know the kings of France in order along with their reigning dates, this is where you will find it. It contains the dynasties of the popes, German kings as well as the Holy Roman Emperors, France, England, Byzantine Emperors, and the Latin Emperors of Constantinople. This is wonderful when researching or trying to piece together who was in power at what time.

Recommended Books

All good academic books have a list of books at the end. It might be in the form of a bibliography and/or a list of recommended books to read. This resource is always good to use in looking for more information or to explore the subject further. This list contains about thirty-five books that you can use to learn more about the Middle Ages.

To sum it all up, this is a wonderful book and would be a great addition to your historical library. It could easily be used by students as young as high school age. I would not recommend learning about the Middle Ages solely on this book. Use it as a companion to other books and you will not be disappointed with it.