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4.06 AVERAGE
4.06 AVERAGE
challenging
informative
slow-paced
A detailed, in-depth look at the life of the turbulent and deadly 14th century. Tuchman occasionally tugs too hard on the strings between the 14th and 20th centuries, but to say that folly in war and needless loss of life isn't unique to the 20th century is by no means a stretch.
Additionally, Tuchman does a fantastic job of detailing the positive and negative impacts of the driving forces of the middle ages -chivalric system, feudalism, plague, trade & money lending, and many others. Her connections of demographic changes following the plagues and the impacts on trade, labor, warfare and others are particularly well written and intriguing.
It is occasionally meandering, introducing lists of characters less for purposes of the story and more to bolster the credentials of her chosen POV character Enguerrand VII de Coucy. His life is fascinating and intriguing without the need for such digressions.
But if you want a good in-depth look at late middle ages history as it transitioned into Renaissance, you cannot ask for a better book.
Additionally, Tuchman does a fantastic job of detailing the positive and negative impacts of the driving forces of the middle ages -chivalric system, feudalism, plague, trade & money lending, and many others. Her connections of demographic changes following the plagues and the impacts on trade, labor, warfare and others are particularly well written and intriguing.
It is occasionally meandering, introducing lists of characters less for purposes of the story and more to bolster the credentials of her chosen POV character Enguerrand VII de Coucy. His life is fascinating and intriguing without the need for such digressions.
But if you want a good in-depth look at late middle ages history as it transitioned into Renaissance, you cannot ask for a better book.
dark
informative
reflective
slow-paced
Major takeaways: 1) Rich people have always been shits. 2) Life was cheap and suffering was expected. 3) Vaccinate your kids, y’all!
This is a very detailed and for the most part interesting book. But there are a lot of details. Took a long time to get through.
informative
medium-paced
adventurous
hopeful
informative
medium-paced
informative
slow-paced
a very nice introduction to the European late middle ages.
challenging
informative
slow-paced