Rating: 
Summary: AWFUL!
Review: Any serious student of history should avoid this opinionated, controversial and dry account of the Middle Ages. The author opens his book with a charming three page analysis of the Roman Golden Age, exclaiming, and this in a TEXTBOOK mind you, "If this was humanity's happiest time-God help us all!" He relegates the achievements of the Renaissance strictly to the realm of the aesthetic, even going so far to lament the fact that the slender and mysterious saints of the Middle Ages seem to have "turned voluptous" in the workshop of Michelangelo... Perhaps the author had some bad experiences in the classics and developed an abhorence for their achievements which he feels he must emphasize in his textbook. Even worse is his one sided, clinical and insensitive view of history; only in Hollister can the reader read of the horrorrs of the Black Plague without blinking an eye. AVOID!
Rating: 
Summary: An excellent textbook overview. Very readable.
Review: I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in an overview of medieval Europe. The author writes in a clear, organized style, though such text-book seriousness is occassionally betrayed by a dry sense of humor. And while openly declaring himself anti-PC, the author does not allow any ideology to directly impede his misssion of telling an engaging story. I originally bought this book to refresh my memory before a Chaucer seminar, and under such circumstances I was well served. I have re-read it since then just for the fun of it. It also makes a good gift for well-read relatives and friends. I do not hesitate in recommending Medieval Europe: A Short History to anyone interested in the topic.
Rating:
Summary: Informative
Review: I read this text for a survey course on medieval history. I found the book to be better than most general history texts I've encountered in the past. The organization is superb and the writing is crisp and to the point. Oftentimes it was difficult to highlight anything because every sentence contains useful facts. Hollister writes with good humor in a subject that often lacks amusing anecdotes. The book starts with a brief view of Roman history and ends with the development of the Renaissance. There are chapters on Byzantium and Islam, as well as sections on medieval art, thought and architecture. Sidebars illuminate important medieval figures such as Hildegard of Bingen. Anybody reading this book will come away with a good foundation on medieval Europe.
Rating:
Summary: I Agree, A Poor Choice For A Textbook
Review: I strongly agree with the former reviewer's comments. This book, (superficially ugly, uncolorful and poorly illustrated), is boring and opinionated,cramming one thousand years of history into fifteen or so so chapters. Hollister, who, I'll admit, clearly loved his subject, made the mistake of emphasizing again and again that the Middle Ages were THE domiant force that created modern Europe- history is not a contest, but should accurately reflect the past and incorporate modern interpretation and, (the element most strongly missed in Hollister), constant primary sources. For the responsible instructor looking to teach a worthwhile course on the Middle Ages, numerous sources should be used, and by no means should this out-of-date book form the backbone of the course.
Rating:
Summary: An Insufferable Revision
Review: I turned to the 9th edition of this book hoping to find a short, descriptive, and informative assessment of Medieval European history and culture. I was quickly disappointed by the vapid opinions that punctuate Bennet's revision of what may have originally been a witty, readable, and informative text. For example, when setting the stage for the rise of the Middle Ages from the decline of the Roman Empire, Bennet informs us that "the less said about Nero (r. 54-68 C.E.) the better." A few pages later she summarizes the period of the Roman Peace by opining, "if this was humanity's happiest time, God help us all!" I'm amazed that empty statements like this made it past Bennet's academic peers and editors. I turned to the book seeking to be intelligently informed and educated, not persuaded to a view of history by someone else's personal feelings about the moral qualities of a historical personage or period. Though I may yet seek an earlier edition of this reputedly fine text, I put down Bennet's revision of Hollister's book and moved on to Morris Bishop's The MIddle Ages.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Survey of Medieval Europe
Review: I, too, had the pleasure of using this book for an undergraduate class, and believe the material to be superbly organized. There seems to be just the right amount of subject headings, and the prose is clear and enjoyable to read. Moreover, illustrations and charts are equally well-placed. Rather than "cramming" a thousand years of history between its covers, the author works his way through a vast amount of material -- omitting the non-essential. It is an outstanding example of what it means to survey a subject. Yes, the author has no great love for ancient Rome, and perhaps believes there is too much fuss made of the Renaissance. I do not agree with either sentiment. But the author's opinions, rather than detracting from the book, are nothing but a small, though refreshing, infusion of personality in an area that is notoriously dry, namely: the college textbook.
Rating:
Summary: concise overview of midieval history
Review: If one wants to understand the origins of western culture, particularly the difficult role of the middle ages, then one could not wish for a more succinct, and I believe accurate and well written summary. I think Hollister gets it right, we have a large debt to midieval culture. We are not "Greeks" but a synthesis of ideas derived from these times as modified later rediscovery of ancient Greek thought. Hollister's writing is superb. He never lost my attention at any time. He handles the long history and cultural events of this era in a concise yet entertaining manner while retaining the overall themes that a good history of the period must cover. I am a general reader of history, not a student.
Rating:
Summary: concise overview of midieval history
Review: If one wants to understand the origins of western culture, particularly the difficult role of the middle ages, then one could not wish for a more succinct, and I believe accurate and well written summary. I think Hollister gets it right, we have a large debt to midieval culture. We are not "Greeks" but a synthesis of ideas derived from medieval times as modified later rediscovery of ancient Greek thought. Hollister's writing is superb. He never lost my attention at any time. He handles the long history and cultural events of this era in a concise yet entertaining manner while retaining the overall themes that a good history of the period must cover. I am a general reader of history, not a student.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best-written textbooks out there.
Review: It's rare to find a textbook animated by its author's love of the subject matter. And Hollister is a devoted paramour. I had the pleasure of using the seventh edition of this textbook in a medieval history class, and I still have it. Simply put, it's a far-ranging, thorough and fascinating look at the art, events, and culture of the Middle Ages. And as for the previous review's objections to the book: the reason Hollister dismisses the "Golden Age" of Rome as anything but a "Golden Age" are carfeully listed. Infanticide, widespread slavery and poverty (running up to 90 percent), and a closely-bonded upper class that enjoyed the fruits of classical culture without bothering to transmit its fruits to the remainder of the realm. Nor does Hollister object to the Renaissance: he points out that the knowledge and thought processes the Humanists claimed to have rediscovered after the "long sleep" of the Middle Ages were set in motion and used quite well during the High Middle Ages. Humanists were simply more self-consciously "awakened." HIs critique of Renaissance art (if you can even call it that) is a simple observation of how the priorities of artists were changing by the end of the late Middle Ages. This is masterful stuff. The book makes a very convincing argument that western culture was shaped more by the Middle Ages than anything following. And Hollister's playful sense of humor makes everything go down easy. You've got to love a book that can discuss the problems of urban life in London while adding this observation: "The violence of medieval London may be attributable in part to the existence (in 1309) of 354 taverns and more than 1300 ale shops -- a fact that provides added meaning to the term 'High Middle Ages.'" It's pithy asides like these that reveal the humor and humanity of Hollister's effort, and make you realize that this gentleman is in love with his work, knowledgable about it, determined to learn even more, and brave enough to crack jokes in the super-serious world of academia. A terrific introduction to the Middle Ages.
Rating: 
Summary: Detached and oversummarized
Review: Obviously intended to be the central thread of a course involving -huge- amounts of outside reading, if you already know something about the subject, this book will disappoint, and if you don't, it will bewilder (might be useful if you're cramming for a test, but then there's the price to consider). It's an easy read, but it goes by waaay too fast. And, by never losing its scholarly detachment, the book fails to bring the subject people and events to life, betraying in places a mild disdain. Even the included biographical vignettes are overly clinical. History is made by people, who are products of their times. A good historian gives the impression he has walked among his subjects. This book treats them like bugs under glass. For those of us with a serious (but passing) interest in the middle ages, who (let's be honest!) wanted to read two or three books and call it good, this book is a waste of time.
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