Medieval Panorama

Rating:
Summary: Perfect introduction to a fascinating period...
Review: Illustrations galore from different archives, museums, libraries around the world make this book a visual encyclopedia. I love this book for its exacting and rigorous research, direct descriptions, and brimming with nice features that readers like me greatly enjoyed, like cross references, maps and more maps, biographical sketches of leading historical personalities and time lines.

This volume delves deeply into the medieval mind, explaining developments in astronomy, medicine, the natural sciences, alchemy, magic, witchcraft, literature and theatre. For example, in medieval art, it surveys the unfolding of the Gothic style as well as in architecture. There are profiles of the important builders, architects and sculptors and examines the role of the medieval artist and craftsman.

It also examines the more controversial role and power of the papacy, what happened to Moorish Spain and why the Church ordered the Crusades and explores the issues and puzzles and then arriving at a proper conclusion in the fate of outsiders like Jews, blacks and other minorities in an overwhelmingly Christian environment. A section on castles and fortresses that dominated medieval warfare was most interesting and leads to discussions on heraldry and recreational life in the courts of the nobility.

Edited by the distinguished medieval scholar Robert Bartlett, reading this book is like walking thru a museum exhibit, a work which would be especially useful to students of the period, travellers and readers alike who enjoy a good historical blueprint of this fascinating period.

Rating:
Summary: Worth every cent!!!
Review: This is a veritable banquet of visual medieaeval sources from the collapse of the Roman Empire to the earliest Renaissance. Medieval Panorama has over 800 illustrations (612 in vibrant colour) drawn from archives, libraries and museums across the world (not just Europe) and all well organised into themed chapters.

There are eight sections in total covering everything from religion, political structure/knighthood/chivalry/ceremony, medieval art, sex/death, the inner world of alchemy, witchcraft, magic, courtly love and romance, to a final chapter on cultures outside mediaeval Europe. There are also succinct biographies of key personalities, from Charlemagne to Wycliffe, with timelines, maps and a stunning bibliography to accompany them.

The volume is beautifully presented with a glossy, gorgeous jacket and a sturdy green bound cloth underneath. The illustrations are accompanied by a scholarly text written by the accomplished Robert Bartlett. As usual he has truly outdone himself to shine within the field.

Bartlett is one of the world's most distinguished mediaeval historians, honoured for the scope and depth of his understanding. A better editor couldn't have been found. He weaves together all the tangled strands of mediaeval art, architecture and intellectual world with a seemingly effortless commentary.

A beautiful, grand project,..., for both scholar, student and those with a general interest. Buy your copy immediately and treasure it for years to come.

Rating:
Summary: WOW! A sourse of info that one dreams of, but never finds!
Review: Wow! If you always wished for a sourse of information on medieval life, if you wished for hundreds upon hundreds of photographs, (most of them in color), Most of the of manuscripts. Then this is the book for you. When you are surprise with the wonder of this book, as you turn page after page, you will be surprised again and again, - behold many medieval maps too. Some Examples of what you will find:Contents:1) Prolohue: What Made the Middle Ages?30 - Introduction34 - Reading the classics36 - Classical revivals38 - Germanic invaders40 - From Constantine to Justinian42 - The politics of conversion44 - The image of......46 - 54 seperate topics2) Salvation of the Soul56 - Introduction60 - The hierarchy of the Church62 - The sevan sacraments 64 - The Eucharist66 - The Fellowship of the ..........68 - 80 = seperate topics3) Earthly Powes92 - Introduction96 - Empire and Papacy98 - Kingship100 - 126 seperate topics4) The Legacy of Medieval Art128 - Introduction132 - Arcitecture: the Romanesque prelude134 - The flowering of Gothic136 - Gothic:the last phase138 - Royal splendour, cival pride140 - Architechs and builders142 - 156 Seperate topics5) Everyday Life158 Introduction162 The world of childhood164 - Women:weakness and strength166 - Sex and sexuality168 - The discipline of marriage170 - The family at home172 - 188 seperate topicsThere is so much information, this is a mst for anyone interested in the researching the Middle Ages.The hardcover is excellently made and is worth the price.