The Middle Ages

by Morris Bishop

In this indispensable volume, one of America's ranking scholars combines a life's work of research and teaching with the art of lively narration. Both authoritative and beautifully told, The Middle Ages is the full story of the thousand years between the fall of Rome and the Renaissance - a time that saw the rise of kings and emperors, the flowering of knighthood, the development of Europe, the increasing power of the Catholic Church, and the advent of the middle class. With exceptional grace and wit, Morris Bishop vividly reconstructs this distinctive era of European history in a work that will inform and delight scholars and general readers alike.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Medieval, Medieval History, Audiobook, European History, Historical

352 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1968

Reviews

[LeAnn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Morris Bishop's highly readable survey of The Middle Ages condenses a thousand years of history often dismissed for its darkness, violence, and superstition and incorrectly portrayed as an unfortunate chasm between the glory of ancient times and the Renaissance that drew on a renewed interest in the classics.

Bishop's survey, unlike Asimov's histories, covers the period thematically rather than chronologically. For a span of time that includes the Dark Ages when much of what was written was either lost or barely preserved, this approach works rather well. Ten chapters cover familiar medieval topics such as Knights in Battle, The Noble's Life, An Age of Faith, and The Artists' Legacy. Less familiar topics (to me, anyway) included Towns and Trade, The Life of Labor, and The Life of Thought.

Perhaps some of the most surprising history of the Middle Ages is the development of capitalism and commerce and the rise of towns, which greatly promoted the common welfare, including the privilege of self-government purchased from money-strapped nobles. Trade guilds are early unions. Towns offered freedom to serfs in exchange for their employment.

Bishop declares that the Middle Ages ended by bequeathing modern times more than it had received itself, a rather astonishing claim unless the reader allows for his others: that the Middle Ages accomplished much in terms of art, architecture, literature, learning, and wisdom.

[Greg Strandberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Do you want to know what happened from about 300 AD to around 1000 or so? Then this book gives you good, solid chapters that make sense.

We had it for our Medieval European history course in university, and it was pretty good. I read it a few times in that regard, as you do when you read the same chapter a few times that week.

I'd actually like to read this again, because we all know how 'in one ear and out the other' college books can be.

[Benjamin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like your British grandfather telling stories by the fire. There are no notes or references, so who knows how accurate this is, but Bishop's a good storyteller.

[Cooper Ackerly · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh, where to start. Perhaps with the subtitle that I, 23 pages in and already consumed with righteous indignation, scribbled upon this book's cover: Bigoted Nursery Tales.

Now, lest I appear to be a nefarious defacer of books, it must be noted that I have never before touched my pen to a book cover. Until that night of July 1st, every bit of marginalia upon my book pages had been written with the most scrupulous care. And while margin notes do not, in my opinion, demand the rigorous grammatical and stylistic standards that I apply to my formal writing, I do try. However, by page 17 I had made the pleasing discovery that writing in capital letters releases frustration. By page 27, I was making notes such as "UH" and "IF HE BREAKS THE FOURTH WALL ONE MORE TIME I SWEAR TO PROMETHEUS BOUND"S ZEUS." Eventually, abbreviations, borderline profanity, and juvenile slang crisscrossed the pages. In contrast, a note upon page 176 of my copy of Moby Dick (I am currently using it as a palate cleanser) reads "this -- this is the true, accursed, communion."

Mind you, at 11:35 p.m. on the 1st of July, 2020 B.C., I looked up this book with pleased anticipation. After all, it had been highly recommended to me by a teacher who, among other things, spent her Aprils every year taking students through Plato, Augustine, and Dostoyevsky. Of course, the book had also been described as an engaging read, so I wasn't expecting any sort of revolutionary scholarship, but I was expecting... scholarship.

I kept an "Abbasid Count" as I went, or at least tried to. Originally I had intended to count all of the completely ridiculous (not to mention unverifiable) details that were included by Mr. Bishop before he made any reference to, you know, one of the two dominant Eurasian civilizations at the time other than refering to it as "the Arab Empire." By page 31, however, I had lost count, but I would like to note particularly egregious offenders as, perhaps, a sampling of what one can expect. I now know the French for the nickname of Charlemange's mother, Big-foot Bertha. I also know the number of virgins who prayed -- working three shifts, mind you -- for Charlemagne's health (14), the bread brought to England by the Saxons (rye), and that bears' teeth were used to polish parchment. And, alas, the Abbasids never did make an appearance.

Oh, and Charlemagne's eyes were "vivacious."

Interspersed with trivialities, generalities, unverifiable anecdotes, and the weird assumption that all Christians were always happy and all PAGANS AND BARBARIANS were always FIERCE AND SAVAGE AND LIONS AND BEARS AND TIGERS OH MY one can find preaching (even anti-communist hysteria, my friends, in a chapter supposedly about Abelard). I was not surprised to find that Mr. Bishop's grasp of theology and philosophy -- wonderfully illustrated in statements like "logic gave people a new understanding based on faith," not to mention his attempt to explain nominalism and realism -- was even flimsier than his grasp of history.

But back to the preaching. Aside from a strange need to differentiate secular and Christian society wherever it was convenient (I take that back -- it is hardly strange, just unbefitting of a serious thinker), Mr. Bishop is fond of reflecting on how Christianity and the wonderful Christians spread the spirit of God through the barbarian lands. Unsuprisingly, this questionable faith trickles (floods?) into his critical (that's far too kind a word) evaluation of everything else. It is heresy, Mr. Bishop informs us helpfully, to be somewhat doubtful as to whether the Trinity's assertion that three can be one and one can be three is quite logically sound. One must not be a nominalist communist, children (this is a paraphrase but an accurate one).

Eppur si muove, Mr. Bishop. Eppur si muove.

And while I am not normally one to nitpick the style of a nonfiction author, it is worth noting that Mr. Bishop, in addition to forgetting any and all historical training that one imagines that he must have received, has forgotten the existence of "and." I kid you not. One sentence every few pages conspicously missing a conjunction may, I suppose, be forgiven. But if one were to only base one's knowlegde of English upon this book, one would imagine that that poor conjunction had gone the way of Charlemagne's "vivacious" eyes. In general, stylistic flourishes do not become the nonfiction writer in all but the rarest of cases, and Mr. Bishop is no Solzhenitsyn. Nor is he a Gibbon, or even a Susan Wise Bauer.

As far as the content of this book goes, I must confess that, when the pompous-high-schooler-who-read-the-Spark-Notes-but-still-thinks-they-can-wing-the-assignment language is removed (an example being "but with all the endings and forgettings, it was a time of obscure beginnings"), there's little left to this book other than rank religious bigotry and preaching, race consciounness that can certainly be construed as racism, worse than poor historical scholarship, positive and negative superlative adjectives more at home in subpar fanfiction, and history written apparently with goals similar to those of the average tabloid writer.

In all, this book is 325 pages of damning evidence for anyone wishing to indict Mr. Bishop for an intellect distinguished both by narrowness and what Oscar Wilde called the worst crime of all -- shallowness.

[Hayward Chan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before buying this book, set your expectation straight: it isn't an event-driven history book with details about every war and political change. It's about life and the state of the art throughout the middle ages. Historical events are included only if they help making the point.

Knowing that it is an old book, I find it surprising readable. Granted, I need to look up the dictionary every now and then (English is my second language and I am not a liberal arts major), but the narrative is fluent and concise. I wish there are more pictures and maps. I need to keep myself online to look up the mentioned places every now and then, but Bishop definitely does a great job in describing in words.

I am completely ignorant of the middle age history. After reading the book, even though I still don't know all the popes, wars and dynasties in detail, I have a pretty firm grasp of how people live and think in the "middle" ages.

[Overbooked ✎ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, I thought it was well organised. The first couple of chapters are dedicated to the main historical events, divided into early period and high/late middle ages. The following chapters are dedicated to specific topics: the hierarchical structure of feudal society, war, chivalry, religion, trade, education, literature, drama, sciences and the arts.
This book may not appeal to serious scholars (it is lacking even the basic references to sources, no notes are provided, etc.) and I noticed a couple of mistakes and some wide generalization (e.g. regarding local governance and the arts). Overall, however, it is a well written, informative and very enjoyable introduction to the middle ages period in Europe. Recommended.

[Lauren Albert · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very readable introduction to the period. It’s definitely dated, but not so much as to take away its value as a beginning book.

[mohab samir · Rating 5 out of 5]

يحاول موريس بيشوب فى كتابه أن يضع للقارىء رأيا متوازناً وصورة واقعية لحياة مختلف الشعوب الأوروبية وثقافتهم فى العصور الوسطى . وهو لذلك ليس كتابا تتوالى فيه الأحداث فى تراتبها التاريخى لكنه يبين التطور الثقافى الحاصل خلال تلك الفترة الممتدة على ما يقارب الألف عام المحصورة بين سقوط الإمبراطورية الرومانية وحتى النهضة الإيطالية المبكرة . ولهذا فالكتاب لا يصلح الا لمن يريد تكوين فكرة عن حياة الإنسان الأوروبى عموما فى العصور الوسطى وأهم اعماله ولكنه لن يُرضى من يريد أن يتعرف على تسلسل احداث هذه الحقبة او التعرف بشكل تفصيلى على أهم ابطالها وأعمالهم بشكل تسلسلى تاريخى تقليدى . فالكتاب يهتم بتصوير تطور شخصية الاوروبى فى العصر الوسيط فى كل جوانب حياته . لذلك نراه مقسماً الى تاريخ عدة موضوعات لا أماكن او أزمنة او شخصيات بعينها وانما تكون هذه امورا عرضية خلال عرض ومقارنة اوجه التشابه والاختلاف فى أوجه الحياة الإنسانية - كالعلوم والفنون المختلفة او الحياة الاجتماعية والدينية او التطور الاقتصادى .... الخ - عبر أوروبا طوال الفترة من ٥٠٠م اللى ١٤٥٠م على وجه التقريب ليبرز مدى التطور وعدم الجمود الذى تشتهر به العصور الوسطى من جانب ولتبيان مدى التشابه الثقافى بين أقطار أوروبا واسبابه من جانب اخر . ولنضرب أمثلة بسيطة على كيفية تناوله لبعض الموضوعات :
فلدى حديث الكاتب عن تطور الحياة العقلية فى العصور الوسطى نجد الطابع الدينى متصدراً لهذه الحياة حيث عرقل البحث العقلى الحر فى امور الطبيعة والانسان واهتم بابحاث لاهوتية وبعض الابحاث المنطقية العقيمة . الا ان الدين كان العامل المهذِب لبربرية الشعوب الأوروبية القاهرة للإمبراطورية الرومانية . كما يبين تطور العقل القروسطى ومحاولة تحرره من خضوعه للفكر والتعليم الكنسى والعودة للبحث المنطقى والتجريبى وانتشار الكتب بعد انتشار الورق فى اوروبا مع بداية الحروب الصليبية وما صاحبها من ترجمات لكتب العلوم العربية الحديثة آنذاك او المنقولة والمفسرة عن علماء وفلاسفة الإغريق . وكيفية تحول الدراسة من السمع والاعتماد على الحفظ والاستذكار الى دراسة الكتب المتأنية المتأملة . وهى العوامل التى اجتمعت بجانب تراكم الثروة لتؤدى الى عصر النهضة فيما بعد .
أما عن تفاصيل المعارك وكيفية التخطيط لها وتقسيم الجيوش ونوعية المحاربين ومدى تدريبهم فنجده مصحوباً بالتعريف بأنواع أسلحة كل منهم ودرجة تطورها مع الزمن مع ضرب أمثلة لعدد من المعارك الهامة او ذات الاحداث المبالغ فى أثرها او ذات الوقائع الطريفة او الاستثنائية .
ومن الحياة العسكرية والحربية الى الحياة الاجتماعية كحياة النبلاء ومنازلهم ومقتنياتهم والوان طعامهم وكيفية اعدادها ووسائل ترفيههم وآدابهم ومكانة المرأة لديهم وطبيعة علاقاتهم الاجتماعية المختلفة وواجباتهم المتنوعة فى الحياة اليومية العادية او فى اعيادهم او نزلات الحياة المتكررة بانواعها كما يناقش هذه التفاصيل لدى مختلف طبقات المجتمع فى العصور الوسطى سواء العبيد او الفلاحين او برجوازية المدن الناشئة عن تجمع التجار والحرفيين والمصرفيين فى كومونات ذاتية الحكم .
كما افاض الكاتب القول بشكل كافى لرسم صورة واضحة عن الحياة الدينية فى اوروبا المسيحية فأوضح طبيعة إيمان العامة ، وشخصية رجل الكنيسة فى مختلف مراكزه وخصوصا الباباوات وعلاقاتهم بالأباطرة وصراعهم معهم ومع مختلف الاقطاعيين وتفصيل الشكل الاقطاعى لكنيسة العصور الوسطى ذاتها . كما يشرح طبيعة الحروب الصليبية فى الشرق ضد المسلمين وفى اوروبا ضد الهرطقات المختلفة من الالبجنسية والتطهرية والقائلين بتجديد العماد وغيرهم وكذلك الصراع بين الكنيستين الشرقية والغربية وبين رجال الدين الكنسيين من القساوسة والمطارنة من جانب والرهبان المتجولين من جانب اخر . ومعتقدات الاوروبيين الوثنية المترسبة فى أحضان المسيحية كعبادة العذراء وتقديس الصور والتوسل الى البقايا المقدسة واعتقادهم فى السحر والعرافة حتى لدى الكثير من الحكام والباباوات.
كما نرى فى تناول الوضع الإجتماعى فى أوروبا العصور الوسطى سمات الحياة الريفية وهى الحياة الشائعة فى أوروبا آنذاك وميل الإقطاعية الى الإكتفاء الذاتى ونقص النقود وعدم موثوقيتها مما قيد انتشار النشاط التجارى. وعمل النظام النقابى فى المدن على الحد من المنافسة بين الحرفيين مما قوض تقدم الصناعة الإنتاجية الحديثة . الا انه يبين مدى تطور التجارة والصناعة وتنوع وسائل الترف فى نهاية العصور الوسطى عما كانت عليه الحال فى العالم القديم ومطلع ذاك العصر . هذا التقدم الذى حفز على نشأة المدن والجمهوريات الصغيرة التجارية والمعادية للنبالة وللبابوية الإقطاعيتين اى انها كانت تمثل المعارضة الناشئة حيث كانت الطبقة الحاكمة هى طبقة التجار بشكل اساسى والتى تمثل آنذاك نشأة الطبقة البرجوازية التى ساهمت فى هذه الفترة الى دعم الملكية ضد النبلاء ورجال الكنيسة اصحاب الامتيازات بهدف وضع يد الملك على اقطاعاتهم ومصدر قوتهم ما ساهم فى نشأة الدول الأوروبية الحديثة نتيجة لوحدة الارض تحت راية الدولة الموحدة وسلطة الملك ذات المصدر الإلهى اى المقدسة .
وخلال هذه المسيرة الحية للتاريخ التى يعرضها الكاتب نرى تغير مواقف الأحزاب المتعادية بمختلف انواعها ومواقفها ومعتقداتها فالكنيسة احيانا تقدس الملوك والاباطرة فى سبيل خدمة او مساعدة دنيوية وأحيانا يلعنوهم حين ينافسوهم على الأرض او العشور او ينازعوهم مزايا سلطتهم الروحية. كذلك النبالة نجدها تارة مستضعفة متعادية ومفككة . فيستقوى افرادها بدعم الملك ضد بعضهم البعض واحيانا يتحدون فى وجهة حين يستشعرون خطره على امتيازاتهم المتوارثة . كما نشهد حروب الملوك ضد الهرطقات المخالفة لتعاليم وايمان الكنيسة الرومانية ومباركتهم وتبنيهم لهذه الحركات باسم حركة الاصلاح الدينى حين يطمعون فى اغتصاب املاك الكنيسة الموجودة فى اراضيهم والتى يفترض بهم حمايتها كواجب دينى اول ضمن واجبات الحاكم . هذا جزء بسيط بالتأكيد وهذه محاولة بسيطة لوصف طبيعة الكتاب الذى كما اسلفت ليس بكتابة لتوالى الأحداث وسرد أعمال الشخصيات التاريخية وإنما هو إعادة إحياء لهذه التسجيلات التاريخية بحيث يضع القارىء فى قلب هذه الحقبة مرتحلا به بين الدماء والأشلاء فى ميادين معاركها او حالماً فى روحانية داخل عظمة كنائسها وجلال طقوسها او يصحبه الى لهو الريفيين فى الحانات ليلا او الى عملهم الشاق فى ارض السيد نهاراً . كما نزور قصور النبلاء وأكواخ الفقراء والفلاحين ونمضى بين مشاهد الطبيعة التى اعتادوها آنذاك ونرتحل فى سفن التجار ونتعرف الى طبيعة كل شخصية عاشت فى هذه الحقبة وعاداتها الخاصة بدءاً من الملوك والباباوات على رأس السلم الاجتماعى وانتهاءً بأدنى طبقاته من صغار الحرفيين ورقيق الأرض والشحاذين وحتى قطاع الطرق . ففى هذه الصفحات القليلة لا نقرأ فقط كتاباً فى التاريخ بل نخوض ونحيا فى التاريخ .

[Melody · Rating 1 out of 5]

Trash. Personal opinions. Prejudices. Garbage. There's so much good content covering this time period, there is no earthly reason to waste your time on this exemplification of Twain's maxim "The very ink with which history is written is merely fluid prejudice.”

[Ron · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Our judgments of the Middle Ages as a whole must be relative to our assessment of our own age. It was an age of superstition; and so is ours, though the superstitions are different.”

An overview, not a history, of the Middle Ages. Lots of context, few specifics. In this case, that’s good. Readers put off by lists of kings and battles will find a topical collection essays on what was really going on in the lives of real people.

“In a deeper sense, the Middle Ages were a continuation of the ancient peasant culture that goes back 10,000 or 20,000 years, to the Stone Age.”

A healthy antidote to common misperceptions about what life was really like between AD 50 and 1500.

“Animal fat for cooking was in short supply, for it was in great demand to make candles, soap, and axle grease; a pound of fat cost as much as four pounds of lean meat.”

Repeatedly touches people and events which impact modern (in 1968, when published) pop culture--Joan of Arc and King Arthur--whether fact or fiction.

“Men were not ignorant of the things they needed to know - practical agriculture, weapon-making, the strategies of survival; and they had no interest in rediscovering the speculations of ancient sages.”

[Tim Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

_The Middle Ages_ by Morris Bishop is an enjoyable and witty overview of the history, culture, and society of Medieval Europe. The first chapter, "The Long Dark," looks at the beginning of the medieval period, the author arguing that the Middle Ages should be seen as both a continuation of the language, institutions, and artistry of not only old Rome but also of cultures independent of it, such as that of the Franks and Saxons and a formation, the beginning of our modern world, the end of pagan classical civilization. Charlemagne is a major figure in this chapter; his coronation as the first Roman emperor in the West in more than 300 years (in the year 800) marked a major shift in power, from the East to the West, the development of a culture that was not a satellite of Byzantium but rather firmly European, and the very birth of European civilization.

Chapter two focused on the history of the High Middle Ages, focusing in large part on the year 1000 as a major turning point, that despite Viking threats "one could point to certain gains, to certain justifications for hope," as the West was in generally a better shape and the broad outline of the major modern states had begun to take form. Technology continued to advance, with the advent of the spinning wheel, mechanical weight-driven clock, compass, and fixed rudder. Notable in the chapter is King Henry II (who laid the foundations of English common law and the institution of limited monarchy).

The next chapter focused on knights and the crusades. Bishop noted that the crusades were "the first wars fought for an ideal" and that they were promoted with all the tools of the propagandist, among them atrocity stories, lies, and inflammatory speeches. Also interesting was his coverage of Saladin (the "pet enemy" of the West), the description of crusade battles (Richard the Lion-Hearted took Acre in 1191 with the help of a catapult known as Bad Neighbor), and why the crusades ultimately failed (they did not correspond to any temporal aim, as Europe had no need for Jerusalem or Syria, and Europe would have benefited more from a stronger Byzantine Empire though the crusades achieved in fact quite the opposite).

Chapter four focused on the life of the noble, on what in fact feudalism really was, the bloody nature of the family feuds of the nobles, the "bundle of paradoxes" that was the noble (he could be both gallant and bloodthirsty, charitable and immoral), and many of the elements of their daily lives. We learn for instance that window glass was rare for centuries and for long time was treated with great care, as Bishop tells of some nobles who removed and wrapped window glass before long journeys. Throughout much of the Middle Ages pockets were unknown, blonde hair was much prized in Italy (ladies spent a great deal of time bleaching it), hard soap was a luxury item and did not appear until the 12th century, and dinner guests were provided with spoons but had to bring their own knives (forks were a rarity).

Chapter five looked at Christianity, arguing that the church, in many senses, was more than merely the patron of medieval culture, that it was medieval culture. He argued that the pope's involvement in political affairs blunted church authority, laying the papacy open to "mockery and shame" by overuse of crusades and excommunication for temporal gains. The coverage of the cult of relics was fascinating (so morbid was this that Saint Romuald of Ravenna, visiting France, heard people propose he was more valuable dead than alive and barely escaped). The life of the monastery was well covered, as well as St. Francis and the Franciscans, Dominic of Caleruega and the Dominicans, the Waldenses (early evangelical, almost Protestant, Christians), and the Cathari (dualistic heretics).

Chapter six looked at towns and trade. Interesting tidbits include the fact that the last name Walker comes from the cloth trade (walkers stamped on cloth to shrink and compact it), that bankers first appeared in medieval trade fairs (money changers or "bankers" got the name from the banks or benches that they laid out their coins), artisans kept virtually no stock in stores (they worked only on orders), and our hook-and-ladder companies comes from the hooks supplied in medieval cities to pull burning thatch from roofs to the street.

Chapter seven looked at the life of labor. Bishop looked at how the manorial system functioned, the daily life of the peasant, leprosy, and the state of medieval medicine.

The eighth chapter focused on the life of thought, the author examining how schools worked and what it was like to have been a student, the origins of medieval science and secular scholarship (as scholars realized that the physical world was "no mere ugly training camp for the soul" but worthy of study in its own right), and famous medieval writers like Dante and Boccaccio.

Chapter nine dealt with medieval art, architecture, and music. Fascinating coverage of the evolution of building styles, the construction of cathedrals, the use of stained glass (which told the stories of the Christian faith through "colored sunshine", though Bishop felt the term stained glass was incorrect, as it was not stained with color but rather infused with it), the work and role of artisans in society, and the origins of musical notation (developed during the eleventh century into our recognizably modern form, which was also when our notes were named - ut, re, mi, fa, so, la - from the opening syllables of the successive lines of a familiar hymn).

The final chapter dealt with the end of the Middle Ages. Major topics include papal conflicts such as the Babylonian Captivity and the Great Schism, the challenges posed by John Wycliffe and John Hus, the "greatest calamity" to befall the Western world (the Black Death), the Hundred Years War (a "futile war,...it achieved little except destruction, misery, and death"), and Joan of Arc.

[adrienne · Rating 3 out of 5]

easily readable, but completely lacking footnotes/references/bibliography, even for the most simple of things like a king's birth date. Where he uses quotations, he notes the person who (supposedly?) made the statement, but not where he actually found the citation.
good for a beginner book or a pleasure read, but i could never recommend using this as a reference for anything serious; it would rank, at absolute best, as a tertiary source.
given 3 stars because it is an enjoyable read, if one is looking for a non-scholarly overview of the era.

[Brendan Conrad]

Despite some moments where I'm not quite sure Bishop is correct on certain claims (especially regarding analysis of literary works of the times), I really enjoyed this book. Bishop's style is like someone who knows a lot about the topic chose to just sit down and chat with you about it. The amount of detail that he makes interesting is mind-boggling. I picked this for a book club with friends who I'm trying to trick into becoming nerds of the Middle Ages like me, and I think it's starting to work thanks to this book.

[James S · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally published in 1968, this is a good pop history overview of the times. No source notes, so you take his knowledge at face value (or not). Penguin chose to republish this later so that counts for reliability I think. The author was quite the polymath, writing many biographies, articles and poetry among his considerable output. The topical chapters allow one to pick and choose, with segments such as “The Nobles’ Lives”, “Towns and Trade” and “ The Artists’ Legacy”.

[Philip · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is over 50 years old and it shows its age. It's out of date in so much, not only facts but in general style of presentation and bias of the author. Any medieval history book from the last 10 or 15 years would be a huge improvement over this.

[Colleen Browne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bishop's book is a good tertiary source on the middle ages but I would classify it as a commentary rather than a history. The narrative is lively and Bishop's wit makes it an enjoyable read. It would perhaps be a good "first book" for anyone interested in the Middle Ages. However, there are several weaknesses, some of which have been mentioned by other reviewers that make it a less than reliable. The lack of footnotes, endnotes, and bibliography is something that would not be tolerated from a high school student let alone a historian. Moreover, there were times when it was difficult to tell whether the author was speaking in the first voice or paraphrasing someone else. One example of this sticks in my mind. There is a reference to the slovenliness of the peasantry. Whether this was Bishop's opinion or someone else's is unclear. What is perhaps more clear is that Bishop had little respect for them. Although their lives are incorporated into the text, his conclusions make no reference to them. He doesn't seem to respect their struggles.
The seminole events of the Middle Ages were the Plague, the Hundred Years War and the time the papacy was moved to Avignon and the battles to return it to Rome. It is curious to this reader that these events were compartmentalized at the end of the book, and seemed to be added almost as an afterthought. One might have expected some reflection of the effects of these momentous events in the course of his commentary throughout the book.

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Why do I rate a dry history book so high? Because it’s not dry at all it’s very interesting and engaging. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself talking about its details with friends and family. This book exemplifies Bill Cosby’s cartoon admonition if you’re not careful you might learn something.

[Aaron Schuck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Morris Bishop's book, "The Middle Ages," provides a comprehensive look at medieval Europe, covering its diverse culture, politics, art, and societal changes. Bishop's clear writing style and attention to detail dispel common misinterpretations and offer a nuanced view of a time period that is sometimes unfairly referred to as the "Dark Ages.”

Bishop's research deserves special recognition for its impressive depth and breadth. He skillfully navigates through various regions, not limiting himself to Western Europe but also including the Byzantine Empire and the Islamic caliphates. This allows him to present a truly comprehensive and holistic view of medieval interactions that takes into account the many different cultural and political factors at play during this time period. By venturing beyond traditional geographic and cultural boundaries, Bishop's research offers a fresh perspective on this fascinating era of history that is sure to captivate readers and scholars alike.

Bishop's writing is imbued with a narrative charm, transforming historical events into compelling stories that keep readers engaged. This narrative charm is achieved through Bishop's use of vivid descriptions, engaging dialogue, and relatable characters that readers can connect with. By painting a vivid picture of historical events, Bishop not only educates readers but also transports them to a different time and place, allowing them to fully immerse themselves in the story. Furthermore, Bishop's ability to seamlessly weave together multiple storylines and perspectives creates a rich and complex narrative that is both intellectually stimulating and emotionally satisfying. Overall, Bishop's narrative style is a testament to his skill as a writer and his dedication to bringing history to life for his readers.

Bishop challenges the stereotype of the Middle Ages as a time of ignorance and superstition. He argues that while the era wasn't perfect, it was a time of great intellectual and artistic achievement. For example, medieval scholars made important contributions to fields such as astronomy, mathematics, and medicine. Many of these scholars worked in monasteries, which were centers of learning and culture. Additionally, the Middle Ages saw the creation of great works of art and literature, such as the Gothic cathedrals and the works of Dante and Chaucer. These achievements laid the groundwork for the Renaissance, which built on the intellectual and artistic achievements of the Middle Ages. Overall, Bishop shows that the Middle Ages were a complex and fascinating era that deserves to be understood on its own terms, rather than simply dismissed as a time of darkness and superstition.

One of the most striking features of the text is its ability to provide readers with a glimpse into the medieval world through detailed and evocative descriptions. From the art and architecture to the daily life of people during this period, the author paints a vivid picture of the color, vibrancy, and richness of medieval society. By immersing readers in the sights, sounds, and scents of this fascinating time, the text makes it easy for them to visualize and relate to the world of the past. Overall, the use of vivid descriptions is a key strength of this text, making it an engaging and memorable read for anyone interested in medieval history and culture.

"The Middle Ages" by Morris Bishop is a valuable addition to the shelves of both seasoned historians and casual readers alike. Bishop's work offers a rich, engaging and insightful exploration of a misunderstood era, challenging commonly-held misconceptions and prejudices. The book provides readers with a balanced and vivid depiction of medieval Europe, demonstrating the dynamism and diversity of the Middle Ages. Bishop's scholarship stands out as a valuable contribution to the field of medieval studies. While some areas of the book may benefit from further refinement, such as additional emphasis on the role of women in medieval society or the impact of the Black Death, these minor criticisms do not detract from the overall quality of the work. Anyone interested in deepening their understanding of the Middle Ages will find this book to be an indispensable guide and an enjoyable read.

[Nicholas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Old timey for sure (not so much sympathy spared for non-Christians and racial others, though Bishop is as often scathing towards the low points of popery), so not for everyone. Bishop wasn't even a medievalist so I cannot heartily reccommend this for the academically minded as a reference point. Though some references and variance of scholarly opinion are offered, this work is primarily concerned with telling a good story.. He also sidelines his narrative to offer often ideologically-stained condemnations of modern anachronisms and enlightened posturing visavis the middle ages;
nonetheless, his is exactly what I sought and needed at this point in time;
old-timey can also be hereby conceived as the book's strenght vis-a-vis my needs: it is eminently readeable/listenable and thoroughly entertaining (as well as on-the-nose witty and snarky) in a very anglo-academic sort of way. Shocking that Bishop was not British;
clearly structured in a way that one can easily avoid the topic one is not interested in;
the branding could use some qualification: this is strictly a history of Medieval Western Europe and its outposts, so is of little value for those curious about the Nordic Countries, Eastern Europe, Byzantium and/or the Arab World;
Things I learned: Nonsense to the detractors, the flamboyant gothic is were it's at. Pierre Cauchon was a dirtbag. The story of Jeanne D'arc is indeed extraordinary. The brutal connotations of the word 'medieval' is definitely borne out in the likes of: The Black Prince, Werner von Urslingen, st. Anthony's Fire. Frederick II ineed one of the most fascinating figures of the era, as was the crusader-sparing Saladin. Need to look more into Peter Abelard. Simony was widespread. Anti-clericalism also.

[Brooklyn Griffin · Rating 1 out of 5]

I got about 15 pages before putting this book down. The blatant racism was unbearable, not to mention the wealth of inaccuracies that just the first few pages contain. Even if this was written in the 60s, I can not, in good faith, continue to read a book colored by an author whose perspective describes the Huns as having "hairless yellow faces," "beady malignant eyes," and "rank smell." Aside from insults, Bishop's racism extends to plain misinformation. For example, he conflates the Huns and the Mongols as the same people, and makes the wildly inaccurate statement that the Great Wall of China repelled Hun invasion.

Bishop also claims that King Arthur was a real person by pointing to the documentation of influential French writers, neglecting to mention that those writers were not historians, and that the account he references is fictional. Additionally, the knights of the round table were a much later invention and would not have been mentioned in these early writings. King Arthur was very likely not a real person, but rather inspired by several different stories of heroic Welsh figures. The Cambrian Chronicles on YouTube has an excellent video on King Arthur that will offer you a much better education than this drivel.

The last thing I'll say is that this book has ZERO citations. And I mean ZERO. Declaring that you're an expert in the field does not mean that you get a free pass to pass on whatever medieval myths that you want. This is not a trustworthy source of medieval history, and certainly not worth your time.

[David Warner · Rating 3 out of 5]

An entertaining, old fashioned romp through the Middle Ages from the fall of the western empire to the fall of Constantinople.
This is not a narrative, but more a tour d'horizon, and a study of medieval mentalities rather than an examination of events or themes, with an emphasis upon France and England and little focus outside of western Christendom and none on the Byzantine Empire. This is very much one popular historian's overview of a period of a thousand years, and accordingly there are lacunae and only brief surveys of major conjontures such as the Crusades or the Black Death, but nonetheless it is an entertaining read and a lucid introduction to a thousand years of western European history, which can serve as a basis for more advanced or detailed study in more modern texts.
Unfortunately, there are no references or bibliography, the historians cited are often from an earlier age of medieval study where certainties were greater than today, and often complex concepts such as feudal relations and tenure, lay piety, or humanism are over-simplified, although there is a useful chapter on scholasticism and thought, but that should not put off the general reader who seeks only an overview of the medieval past and prefers the grand sweep of history to the close examination of the particular.

[Haley Kilgour]

I was made to read this senior year of high school and I now remember why I hated it.

If you know me, I’m the queen of fantasy, so if I pick up a nonfiction book, there’s a darn tootin good reason. I was thinking this would be some great information gathering since my current WIPs are in a medieval-esque setting. This book might have been great for that if it’s been half way palatable or rememberable.

First of all, it’s so dry! It’s straight fact. And when the author did deviate, it was to weirdly and pointlessly describe some unknown historical figure. Also, this thing was published in the 60’s and it somehow shows in the writing style! It was like reading and bloody textbook!

Also, the book goes in different sections but mostly just follows politics and religion. I could’ve just gone to Wikipedia for that.

And lastly, the author focuses on one region or ruler(s) then jumps to another yet but often decades down the road so keeping a timeline straight was impossible.

History buffs, this is probably more your cup of tea than mine; I’ll just stick to vague details and hoping I’m halfway right.

[ladyethyme · Rating 1 out of 5]

Frankly, it is fairly obvious that this "historian" is a raging fundamentalist Christian of some flavor or another. He has absolutely no compunction about referring to the native peoples of Britain as savages, and various other insulting epithets.
He sees Christianity as some kind of loving, glorious, glowing, sheltering hand of modernity and gentle, coming to soothe the savage beasts.
I'm sorry but I just can't read that level of bias. It is completely unprofessional, not to mention inaccurate. The priests of the middle ages were not soft spoken, gentle, peace giving, literate and educated, but benevolent Shepherds.
Any amount of actual research on the topic reveals this shocking amount of murder, literacy, rape, gluttony, and every one of the seven deadly sins, you would care to name within the confines of these cloisters.
Of course that is not to say that they were all like that, but there is actually a higher percentage of abuse both financial and physical within the church, then there was in the community at large.
DNF

[Peter Colclasure · Rating 3 out of 5]

My favorite trivia from this book:

1.) the cathedral of Nortre Dame was funded in part by the prostitutes guild of Paris

2.) scribes invented a demon called Tittivillus to blame for their typos and mistakes

3.) a professor applying for a teaching position at Cambridge had to demonstrate his ability to beat pupils with a switch as part of the job application

Sections of this book were fascinating and long stretches were dry. It was written in the 1960s and the author is comfortable making grandiose generalizations that a modern scholar wouldn't feel comfortable making, such as:

Society as a whole was fixed and stable, and within it most people could find contentment. They knew the rules imposed by civil authority and the church. They were not assailed by futile questionings and anxieties.

Less than empirically rigorous, shall we say. If you want a brief easily readable survey of the Middle Ages that is a little dated and occasionally boring, this is your book.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This volume of cultural history is somewhat out of date, but I still enjoyed reading it. It would be an appropriate survey volume for a 300 level history course. In addition to discussing the names, places, and dates, Bishop provided fascinating descriptions of daily life. Our modern lives are significantly more comfortable than that of medieval nobles, or even royalty. He gives the Middle Ages credit for many accomplishments, and the chapter on art and architecture was compelling. I enjoyed reading this to go a little deeper since I teach Western Civ, but it probably wouldn't have as strong a pull for those not already interested in history. Even so, it took me several months to finish it, but I didn't really set specific time aside for it.

[BRT · Rating 2 out of 5]

I went into this book thinking it would be a fairly comprehensive scholarly description of the Middle Ages. It does appear to be fairly comprehensive, perhaps to a fault. In attempting to cover such a large and complex period in the world, the author often ended up just listing factoids rather than weaving an interesting narrative, which made a large portion of the book exceedingly boring. More disturbing was the author's tendency to blithely make personal comments on historical persons, cultures, religions which, at best were rude, but more often were wildly offensive and not something I'd expect from an historian. The offhand comments also tended to take away from any sense of scholarship in the reading.

[Dave Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

"It's All left to the imagination."
I really enjoyed the audiobook for the most part. It was very interesting to hear about what life was like for various types of people in the middle ages rather then endless names of kings and battles and dates. The big problem I had with this audiobook was that the later chapters talked a lot about art and architecture. It would have been very helpful to have have a pdf guidebook with PICTURES and illustrations. I even purchased the kindle ebook in hopes of getting pictures, diagrams and maps, but it had NONE! An ebook that discuss art and architecture without a single picture. Boo

[Kevin McGrath · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting content but reads a bit like a textbook. Covers a wide swath. Basically all of Europe for hundreds of years. What various classes of people ate (diet), did for work (occupations), wore (fashion), learned (education), lived (living conditions, community, social), how they entertained themselves (art & sport), etc. Not to mention government (Feudalism, etc.), war, religion and so on. A very ambitious topic in just over 250 pages.

[Bill · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good brief overview of history and culture of the middle ages. It shows that this was by no means a stagnant period of European history. The book would be much more useful if it included a bibliography and a reference list. I expect this omission is the publisher's fault, not the author's. There is no excuse for omitting these scholarly additions to an e-book, where the additional pages would cost virtually nothing. The book has no maps or illustrations. The chapter on medieval art prompted me to go back to my art history textbook.

[David Howells · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good insight...

A good book that kept me interested all the way through. Not a lot of depth to it however but then again one shouldn’t expect it as the time span is rather wide and it covers virtually all of Europe. A very readable book that is enough to whet the appetite for something more substantive. Don’t be misled though as I garnered a considerable amount of new information. My only critique was that it needed some expansive detail in quite a few places.