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A review by chris_davies
Medieval Bodies: Life, Death and Art in the Middle Ages by Jack Hartnell
5.0
This is an entertaining, wide ranging and well written book about life in the Middle Ages. Like others, I was expecting more of a focus on medieval views of how the body worked, illnesses and treatments etc. But once I got to grips with the fact that it has a much broader scope, I enjoyed it's magpie-like gathering together of information, anecdote and analysis. The butterfly flitting from topic to topic kept things fresh and interesting, and the use of artworks to interrogate the past is fascinating.
Overall, I would rate the writing as a four star read. But what elevates this book easily to five star status is its production. It's wonderfully illustrated and designed, and produced with high quality materials. The care that has been lavished on its presentation is clear to see (although, even then, a few irritating typos managed to slip through.) I found myself asking why more books aren't produced this way. It's a beautiful thing to own, read and keep, which is why I'm a bit annoyed that I managed to spill curry over it.
Overall, I would rate the writing as a four star read. But what elevates this book easily to five star status is its production. It's wonderfully illustrated and designed, and produced with high quality materials. The care that has been lavished on its presentation is clear to see (although, even then, a few irritating typos managed to slip through.) I found myself asking why more books aren't produced this way. It's a beautiful thing to own, read and keep, which is why I'm a bit annoyed that I managed to spill curry over it.