Misconceptions About the Middle Ages

by Stephen J. Harris (Editor), Bryon L. Grigsby (Editor)

Interest in the middle ages is at an all time high at the moment, thanks in part to "The Da Vinci Code." Never has there been a moment more propitious for a study of our misconceptions of the Middle Ages than now. Ranging across religion, art, and science, Misconceptions about the Middle Ages unravels some of the many misinterpretations that have evolved concerning the medieval period, With an impressive international array of contributions, the book will be essential reading for students and scholars involved with medieval religion, history, and culture.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Medieval

312 pages, Paperback

First published February 7, 2007

Reviews

[Darnell · Rating 2 out of 5]

A mixed bag. Some of the articles were good, some bad, and most frustratingly short.

[Kristy Frenken-Francis]

I need to read this for a mini-class I’ll be teaching in the spring, but also am very excited about this one as I’ve heard good things!

[Landon W · Rating 2 out of 5]

While there are some good essays in this collection, it is extremely uneven in quality and scope (a disproportionate amount of space is devoted to an essay on Chaucer that is arguably not even within the scope of the anthology), and none of the essays are by anyone particularly distinguished or accomplished in the field. Some of the essays are interesting and some legitimately informative, but most are some combination of badly-written, dull, or unenlightening. If I had it to do again, I'd skip it.

[John Mcchesney-young · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good if uneven collection of essays. I felt that some of the shorter pieces would have been better longer and some of the longer better omitted, but overall it thought the book worth at least skimming for the best parts.