Medieval Life - Hardcover

Langley, Andrew

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0679880771 ISBN 13: 9780679880776

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers, 1996

Synopsis

The mysterious Middle Ages come alive in a pictorial overview of medieval life.  Learn about the harsh lives of the peasants, the majestic manor houses of the feudal lords, the tournaments and romance of the royal court, the details of daily life, and many other remarkable aspects of this enigmatic era.  

About this title

Reviews

Grade 5-8?Like most of the books in this series, this introduction to the Middle Ages gives a clear picture of life and the times through a combination of brief text and an abundance of high-quality pictures with descriptive and informative captions. Beginning with an overview of the period and its societal structure, the book deals with various aspects of daily life among the different levels of society, the role and influence of religion, jobs, culture and the arts, health and disease, and a look forward to the coming Renaissance. All topics are covered in a double-page spread. The result is a clear, interestingly presented overview of medieval life. Details in the pictures such as an underlayer of clothing or the use of a variety of knives will intrigue children and help them gain a sense of life during this period. The excellent illustrations combine art reproductions and drawings and photographs of various objects. Children will find much to interest them here and the format encourages browsing; however, the visual and written information make this title also useful for reports and projects.?Jane Gardner Connor, South Carolina State Library, Columbia
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

This sweeping visual presentation of medieval life in Europe demonstrates the strengths and weaknesses of historical titles in the Eyewitness series. A thousand years of European history are spanned in relatively few pages of briefly captioned, brightly colored photographs and reproductions. Any of these pages will make readers want to know more. (It will also make them wonder, ``How do we know that?'' without giving them a bibliography or other sources of further information.) Readers won't always know exactly what they're looking at: In a typical spread, entitled ``Holy Orders,'' there are photographs of objects from the 7th through the 13th centuries. The countries of origin are not always given; while some pieces are from the period, others look like modern reproductions. Many photos are just too small, e.g., the elaborate tapestry of the Hanseatic League is reduced almost to the size of a postage stamp. There are no maps, and the text is so abbreviated as to sound superficial: ``Peasants spent most of the daylight hours outside, so the drafts and little light from their unglazed windows did not trouble them.'' A book that's mostly for browsers. (index) (Nonfiction. 10-14) -- Copyright ©1996, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Edition details

• Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
• Publication date: 1996
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0679880771
• ISBN 13: 9780679880776
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 63