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The Middle Ages
Presents an overview of culture and society during the Middle Ages.
- GenresHistory
64 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2002
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August 5, 2016
This brief account of the Middle Ages served as our contemporary text. 60 pages, with numerous illustrations, artifact photographs, and replication of medieval art, it was a contrast to Samuel Harding's "The Story of the Middle Ages." The maps were particularly well done and well placed in reference to the text. Helpful appendices at the back include: Timeline of major events, Glossary, and Index.
Aside from the fact that the author gets the Crusades COMPLETELY wrong, I think the information was, generally accurate. As for the Crusades, the author states, "Groups of people led by religious figures went into battle against people who were not Christian. Their primary goal was to drive out or convert people who did not share the Christian belief. Christianity is based on peaceful beliefs, but those who joined the Crusades showed a very violent side." page 18. I actually physically defaced my book to make sure my students know this is not true. So, a short review to make sure we all know what happened:
1) The Holy Land was in possession of the Byzantine Empire as the offshoot of the Roman Empire.
2) Long claimed by Jews and Christians, Mohammed lays claim to Jerusalem in 610. Declaring it the First Qibla, or place Muslims should pray to.
3) From 614 on, the Byzantine and Arab Empires fight repeatedly over Jerusalem.
4) 624, Mohammaed changes the First Qibla from Jerusalem to Mecca.
5) The Holy Land was conquered by Arab Muslims 636 AD. Christians are still granted freedom and allowed pilgrimage, Jews are kicked out.
6) 797 The Holy Roman Emperor Charlemagne negotiates with the Arabs over access to Jerusalem. The Sultan makes Charlemagne protectorate over sites holy to Christians in Jerusalem and allows them to be refurbished and run by Christians.
7)1009 a Caliph orders the destruction of all Jewish synagogues and Christian churches in his realms, including the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
8) 1030 Church of the Holy Sepulchre allowed to be rebuilt by Christians via a treaty with the Byzantine empire.
9) 1073 Jerusalem is captured by the Turkish Muslims (who defeated the Arab Muslims)
And then this description from Wikipedia:
"The First Crusade (1096–1099) started as a widespread pilgrimage (France and Germany) and ended as a military expedition by Roman Catholic Europe to regain the Holy Lands taken in the Muslim conquests of the Levant (632–661), ultimately resulting in the recapture of Jerusalem in 1099. It was launched on 27 November 1095 by Pope Urban II with the primary goal of responding to an appeal from Byzantine Emperor Alexios I Komnenos, who requested that western volunteers come to his aid and help to repel the invading Seljuq Turks from Anatolia. An additional goal soon became the principal objective—the Christian reconquest of the sacred city of Jerusalem and the Holy Land and the freeing of the Eastern Christians from Islamic rule.
During the crusade, knights and peasants from many nations of Western Europe traveled over land and by sea, first to Constantinople and then on towards Jerusalem. The Crusaders arrived at Jerusalem, launched an assault on the city, and captured it in July 1099, massacring many of the city's Muslim, Christian, and Jewish inhabitants. They also established the crusader states of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, the County of Tripoli, the Principality of Antioch, and the County of Edessa.
Because the First Crusade was largely concerned with Jerusalem, a city which had not been under Christian dominion for 461 years, and the crusader army refused to return the land to the control of the Byzantine Empire, the status of the First Crusade as defensive or as aggressive in nature remains controversial.
The First Crusade was part of the Christian response to the Muslim conquests, and was followed by the Second to the Ninth Crusades, but the gains made lasted for less than 200 years. It was also the first major step towards reopening international trade in the West since the fall of the Western Roman Empire." 11/6/2013
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Cr...
Otherwise, this is a good contemporary resource. I had our elementary student read the text and I read the captions for pictures. The book is colorful, and engaging, the text not too long for an elementary reader. As with the Crusades, you can see the shorter form does not lend itself to some of the more complex issues of the age, but it is a well done opportunity to reinforce the main themes (for example, to realize the Crusades took place and that they moved people from thinking just about their village economy to considering and possibly traveling the world).
Why only 2 stars? If I had to pick one resource of our two, I would chose Samuel Harding's "The Story of the Middle Ages." The added benefit of exposure to medieval art and artifacts could be accomplished through various other means (internet, other publications, etc) and is not unique to this resource.
Aside from the fact that the author gets the Crusades COMPLETELY wrong, I think the information was, generally accurate. As for the Crusades, the author states, "Groups of people led by religious figures went into battle against people who were not Christian. Their primary goal was to drive out or convert people who did not share the Christian belief. Christianity is based on peaceful beliefs, but those who joined the Crusades showed a very violent side." page 18. I actually physically defaced my book to make sure my students know this is not true. So, a short review to make sure we all know what happened:
1) The Holy Land was in possession of the Byzantine Empire as the offshoot of the Roman Empire.
2) Long claimed by Jews and Christians, Mohammed lays claim to Jerusalem in 610. Declaring it the First Qibla, or place Muslims should pray to.
3) From 614 on, the Byzantine and Arab Empires fight repeatedly over Jerusalem.
4) 624, Mohammaed changes the First Qibla from Jerusalem to Mecca.
5) The Holy Land was conquered by Arab Muslims 636 AD. Christians are still granted freedom and allowed pilgrimage, Jews are kicked out.
6) 797 The Holy Roman Emperor Charlemagne negotiates with the Arabs over access to Jerusalem. The Sultan makes Charlemagne protectorate over sites holy to Christians in Jerusalem and allows them to be refurbished and run by Christians.
7)1009 a Caliph orders the destruction of all Jewish synagogues and Christian churches in his realms, including the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
8) 1030 Church of the Holy Sepulchre allowed to be rebuilt by Christians via a treaty with the Byzantine empire.
9) 1073 Jerusalem is captured by the Turkish Muslims (who defeated the Arab Muslims)
And then this description from Wikipedia:
"The First Crusade (1096–1099) started as a widespread pilgrimage (France and Germany) and ended as a military expedition by Roman Catholic Europe to regain the Holy Lands taken in the Muslim conquests of the Levant (632–661), ultimately resulting in the recapture of Jerusalem in 1099. It was launched on 27 November 1095 by Pope Urban II with the primary goal of responding to an appeal from Byzantine Emperor Alexios I Komnenos, who requested that western volunteers come to his aid and help to repel the invading Seljuq Turks from Anatolia. An additional goal soon became the principal objective—the Christian reconquest of the sacred city of Jerusalem and the Holy Land and the freeing of the Eastern Christians from Islamic rule.
During the crusade, knights and peasants from many nations of Western Europe traveled over land and by sea, first to Constantinople and then on towards Jerusalem. The Crusaders arrived at Jerusalem, launched an assault on the city, and captured it in July 1099, massacring many of the city's Muslim, Christian, and Jewish inhabitants. They also established the crusader states of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, the County of Tripoli, the Principality of Antioch, and the County of Edessa.
Because the First Crusade was largely concerned with Jerusalem, a city which had not been under Christian dominion for 461 years, and the crusader army refused to return the land to the control of the Byzantine Empire, the status of the First Crusade as defensive or as aggressive in nature remains controversial.
The First Crusade was part of the Christian response to the Muslim conquests, and was followed by the Second to the Ninth Crusades, but the gains made lasted for less than 200 years. It was also the first major step towards reopening international trade in the West since the fall of the Western Roman Empire." 11/6/2013
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Cr...
Otherwise, this is a good contemporary resource. I had our elementary student read the text and I read the captions for pictures. The book is colorful, and engaging, the text not too long for an elementary reader. As with the Crusades, you can see the shorter form does not lend itself to some of the more complex issues of the age, but it is a well done opportunity to reinforce the main themes (for example, to realize the Crusades took place and that they moved people from thinking just about their village economy to considering and possibly traveling the world).
Why only 2 stars? If I had to pick one resource of our two, I would chose Samuel Harding's "The Story of the Middle Ages." The added benefit of exposure to medieval art and artifacts could be accomplished through various other means (internet, other publications, etc) and is not unique to this resource.
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