Art History & Movements, Middle Ages - History, Customs, Traditions, Anthropology - General & Miscellaneous

The Middle Ages

Name: The Middle Ages
Author: Sarah McNeil
ISBN: 9780195213942

by Sarah McNeil

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Overview

The Middle Ages lasted for about 1,000 years, beginning when the last Roman emperor lost power around 476 AD, and ending sometime between 1400 and 1450 AD. All across Europe there are signs of the medieval past. Cathedrals tell us of the stunning artistic and engineering skills people had. Castles tell us about the power of the nobles. The landscape was shaped by peasants who cleared forests and brought new land into cultivation. Modern nations like France, England, and Scotland took shape during this time. In this volume of the Spotlights series, Sarah McNeill explores and explains the world of the Middle Ages. Each double-page spread examines a particular aspect of life in medieval times. With cutaway views of castles and monasteries, descriptions of battles and sieges, and a look at the typical country life of peasants, The Middle Ages provides a fascinating picture of medieval civilization.

Describes various aspects of life in the Middle Ages, including religion and monastic life, feudalism, homes and families, education, trade, art and architecture, and more. Also presents captioned pictures of related artifacts.

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Editorials

Children's Literature - Susan Hepler

Visually, this series resembles the popular DK book on the Middle Ages: clear and often labeled illustrations; many boxes, sidebars, and captions surrounding each picture inviting the reader's eye to jump around the double-page spread; and vocabulary highlighted in headings and rounded up in a glossary. Upper elementary school report writers can find information easily, and the pictures supply context for understanding more than text reveals. Topics include country life, trade, castles, entertainment and holy days, food and drink, knights, and learning. Five helpful "Look for These" items single out important artifacts, which are illustrated and defined.

School Library Journal

Gr 4-6-These series entries make generous use of colorful, attractive illustrations and have succinctly written texts. The many drawings show artifacts, architecture, domestic scenes, and some simple maps. Grant introduces the community and home life of the Vikings, their customs and culture, trade, exploration and conquests, and arts and crafts. Hazel Mary Martell's Everyday Life in Viking Times (Watts, 1994) is similar in scope. McNeill includes topics such as social structure and education during the Middle Ages and describes castle, monastic, and country life. Andrew Langley's Medieval Life (Knopf, 1996) offers similar background material and includes many photographs of artifacts and costumes. Neither Grant nor McNeill provide enough information for reports, but the eye-appealing packages will be useful introductions.-Cynthia M. Sturgis, Ledding Library, Milwaukee, OR

Kirkus Reviews

This entry in the Spotlights series consists of two-page spreads that focus on one topic, with a paragraph or two of introduction, a large full-color picture with several captions, an inset, and a row of artifacts at the bottom. Topics covered include knights, castles, peasants, exploration, home life, monks, art, and more. As an introduction to the subject this is quick and entertaining, although the lack of a reading list limits its usefulness as a jumping-off point to further research. The brevity of the information may frustrate readers; under "Towns and Crafts," the author says "houses were built so that each story was wider than the one below," but doesn't say why. The sections dealing with food and agriculture will confuse those unaccustomed to the British use of the word "corn" to refer to any cereal crop. This is a passable starting point, but other volumes cover the subject more thoroughly and precisely. (glossary, index) (Nonfiction. 9-12)