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4.06 AVERAGE
4.06 AVERAGE
A book for anyone who is interested in the century that inspired the common tropes of medieval flavored media from Game of Thrones to Skyrim to Monty Python and the Holy Grail. This was the height of chivalric knights, the black plague and beginning of the end of the domination of the Catholic Church.
The book is best when covering the culture of the times: what people ate, how they dressed, how they passed the time or their perspectives on value of life (not high) or treatment of children as little adults. It's worst when relating the details of battles and the many names involved, which are too numerous to keep track of and the battles could be easily summarized.
So, could have been shorter with less detail about events, but still engaging despite that and worth checking out, especially if you want one book to understand the Middle Ages.
The book is best when covering the culture of the times: what people ate, how they dressed, how they passed the time or their perspectives on value of life (not high) or treatment of children as little adults. It's worst when relating the details of battles and the many names involved, which are too numerous to keep track of and the battles could be easily summarized.
So, could have been shorter with less detail about events, but still engaging despite that and worth checking out, especially if you want one book to understand the Middle Ages.
Awesome reflection on a century I only knew the vague details of. Very appropriate title.
adventurous
informative
inspiring
relaxing
fast-paced
adventurous
informative
medium-paced
A really interesting book about the economic, social, and political impacts of the black plague and about Europe as a whole in the 14th century. It was overall an enjoyable read, although I do have to admit to zoning out occasionally. I'm inclined to say that's more of a result of the medium (read it in audiobook) not working super well for me than an indictment of the book itself. I always enjoy history and this zoom into the the century was great; I'd like to read it again in physical format to see what I missed and maybe even add a copy to my personal collection.
I'm always more interested by how most people lived in history, rather than an account of battles or explanations of just the lavish lifestyles of the powerful. This book is such a great view of that type of history, and incredibly readable. I dip into it every once in a while and it really transports you to a different time where people are still the same as they always have been.
informative
reflective
slow-paced
dark
informative
fast-paced
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced
A masterpiece of a book! A Distant Mirror is a history of the 14th century as well as a reflection on the nature of man in society, written by an extraordinarily lyrical writer. The 14th century is completely alien in a number of ways, yet it's also our very recent history. The beginning of the end of the Middle Ages is obviously an enormous topic and thus Tuchman necessarily takes a more narrative approach. I found myself getting confused by various titles and dynasties where everyone has the same name, but once I achieved a more removed perspective and stopped trying to nail down everyone involved in an entire century, it became much more readable. I've been dabbling in Middle Ages history recently, particularly regarding the Great Mortality, and this book provided an incredibly rich context and much food for thought. Highly recommend for anyone willing to take on the challenge.