A review by venturecrapitalism
A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous 14th Century by Barbara W. Tuchman

5.0

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.