The Middle Ages was a dark time in our history. I mean, it’s called the Dark Ages for a reason. This giant stretch of time that seemed like it would go on forever encompassed many famines, starvations, and even contained one of the worst plagues in the history of mankind. It also gave rise to some of the most brutal tyrants that would ever walk the earth, and we don’t even know their full story enough to understand the extant of what they did.
Dan Jones creates a comprehensive history of the Middle Ages. This history gives us a general understanding for what sort of characters existed during this time that we have limited knowledge of. One of the most important factors of this book is how history comes alive. This book does a great job of creating actual stories from this time, rather than just giving an informational essay.
The beginning of “Powers and Thrones” covers Rome being ransacked by the Visigoths (Germanic peoples) in AD 410, and it goes all the way to the 1500s when the Old World and New World cross paths. The Middle Ages spans from the 500s AD to the 1500s AD, so this is historically accurate to the content provided in this book. Dan Jones also includes key medieval history events such as the rise of Islam in 610, the Crusades in 1095, the Black Death in 1346, and the Protestant Reformation in 1517.
Throughout these time frames, he includes characters like St. Augustine, Attila the Hun, Prophet Muhammed, and Eleanor of Aquitane. There were many unforgettable moments with these characters because of the way he wrote the story.
All in all, this is a very great book to read if you are looking for a historical narrative on the Middle Ages with well-written synopses on characters. If you want to be more informed about this historical era or for those that want to be purely entertained, this book is for you.
– 5/5
