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inlilac's review against another edition
informative
medium-paced
3.0
A gorgeously designed book I had been looking forward to reading, but it never moved beyond a "look at this cool thing" intro-level survey.
Decent choice for someone who hasn't read a recent (~last 20 years) medieval history, but the choice of a subject-matter theme (the body) without a clear thesis made it read like a supremely forgettable cabinet of curiosities: fun and nicely assembled, but lacking in coherent synthesis of information. People familiar with the era are likely to be familiar with many of the anecdotes, too.
Decent choice for someone who hasn't read a recent (~last 20 years) medieval history, but the choice of a subject-matter theme (the body) without a clear thesis made it read like a supremely forgettable cabinet of curiosities: fun and nicely assembled, but lacking in coherent synthesis of information. People familiar with the era are likely to be familiar with many of the anecdotes, too.
aislinn_mcd_harrison's review against another edition
informative
slow-paced
3.25
This is an immaculately researched book that I bought after a fascinating talk given by the author at the Hay festival in 2019. It is a jam packed with tid bits and beautiful illustrations and figures that put all the writing into context. However, it’s taken me more than 2 years to read. I simply never felt interested enough to pick it up most of the time. I think that that is because there is no thrust to the book - one thing does not lead to another. So there is no drive to keep going or pick up where you left off! This rating feels harsh but I cannot rate something highly that I felt I couldn’t get through, despite it fascinating subject.
czidya's review against another edition
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
4.5
I'm really impressed with how Hartnell manages to keep a lighthearted tone that brims with curiosity while dumping huge quantities of information on serious, often shocking topics.
This made a really good audiobook - I felt like I was listening to a really good podcast series. I think it would have felt a lot more dry to read in print just because of how fact-heavy it is, but probably still worth reading.
This made a really good audiobook - I felt like I was listening to a really good podcast series. I think it would have felt a lot more dry to read in print just because of how fact-heavy it is, but probably still worth reading.