Customer Reviews

The Penguin Historical Atlas of the Medieval World

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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.

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.

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.

It is what it the title says, of course, and it was everything I expected it to be. The maps and short paragraphs of historical information surrounding the maps are very interesting and detailed. If you have a great deal of interest in the Middle Ages, this book is very helpful for attaining a visual picture of the world you read about

I have been reading through the Story of Civilization by Will Durant and though these volumes do have maps, they are not always easy to read and are somewhat limited in scope.
I can say that my understanding of history and geography has been greatly helped and enriched by these atlas' AND the scholarship present in the summations of geography, people, culture and chronologically specific movements in medieval times. An excellent resource for the price.
Note: These atlas' are much more rewarding when read along side a history book like Will Durant, Toynbee, Herodotus etc. as opposed to all on their own.