Barbarian Europe

Great Ages of Man

by Gerald Simons

Join Time-Life Books, Great Ages of Man Series, on a wonderful photographic journey to Barbarian Europe with engaging text.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Reference

191 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1968

Reviews

[Markus · Rating 3 out of 5]

This short and picture-filled book provides an excellent guide to Europe in the Early Middle Ages for the (more or less) uninitiated. A seasoned veteran of Medieval knowledge will find little new (in fact the book is very old), but I would not hesitate to recommend it as a great little introduction for those wishing to know more about certain aspects of European history between the fall of Rome and the Crusades.

As the introduction states, this was a time of new challenges and magnificent achievements, not a dreary and gloomy 'Dark Age' as per the old and established orthodox opinion. From the first chapter 'The Twilight of Rome' to the inception of feudalism in continental Europe, through descriptions of kings, clerics and barbarian marauders, Gerald Simons skilfully articulates this more modern perception.

Filled with delightfully fitting maps and images to complement a very well-written and easily comprehensible text, Barbarian Europe is an accessible and comprehensive work which never loses its intriguing edge.

-A part of my new quest to review and describe more of the fields I am actually working in (fields in terms of scientific study, not tracts of land-

[Ashly Lynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I came across this book at the Library. I was just browsing the History section in search of something that jumped out at me. I came across this book because it had a really pretty cover on it. It wasn't the cover that's set as the display image for this book; it's a makeshift cover that the Library put on, since the original cover was so tattered. But, it was really pretty.

It was gold. And sparkly. And had nice designs on it.

I just knew I had to have it.

And I'm glad I did.

I really, really enjoyed this book. I thought it was filled to the brim with interesting information that I didn't already know about the Medieval time period. But first, before I go any further with this review, I suppose I should tell you a little about what it's about.

In this book, Simons covers topics spanning from the beginning of the Middle Ages all the way to the end of them. He casts a new and unique light on a time period that is often viewed as digression from civilized behavior and, ultimately, a huge step backward for human kind. Simons does not take the usual approach, but argues that many of the progress made during the Medieval time period helped to move society forward and played a heavy role on many of the celebrations, traditions, and government systems we still use today.

Now, where to start with the review. I think I'll start with the layout of this book. Simons creates a very functional, easy-to-read layout. He gives us about 10 pages of block information text and then breaks each chapter up with about 10 pages of text with images. This is a great method that makes his text readable and easy to maneuver. I liked this format, since it didn't feel like I was really reading a basic cookie cutter text book. This layout makes Simons writing easier to absorb and also easier to read.

Going along with the format, I really enjoy Simons writing style. I like the flow of his words and the way he lays out the information for the reader. Let's face it, without good writing, even a good layout wouldn't have saved this book. I'm so glad that Simons has a good writing style. I found myself flipping (not flipping pages in a sense of flying through a high-intensity YA Dystopian novel, but in a I couldn't wait to find out more information sense) page after page. I found the writing to be tantalizing enough to make me want to finish the text in its entirety.

The pictures also flow extremely well with the text and layout. I love the less dense picture/text break in between the denser sections. It gives you a nice break where you can still learn about the years Simons is discussing, but in a more relaxed way, allowing your brain to fuel up for the next dense text section. Simons included pictures that tie into the year spans he had been talking about in the previous chapter to further demonstrate what life was like. They're sort of a chapter wrap up. These are also nice for anyone who is doing more a skim read. Overall, the pictures were extremely pretty and an applauded addition.

Finally, the information. I found the information to be completely satisfactory. I learned a ton while reading this (bonus) short (not super short but just short enough) text. Simons doesn't try to drag anything out too far. He puts in enough information for you to get your feet wet in the culture and to be able to get a sense of what life was like for the people actually living this culture. Simons does a superb job of including the vital information, but also throwing in some fun trivia. (Like, did you know people used to put rancid butter in their hair to use as hairgel?)

Now, this was published back in the 1960s, so I'm sure there have been some facts that were proven wrong or further expanded on. But, I still really enjoyed reading this book and found it to be filled with tons of information I didn't know with most feeling like it would still ring true with modern reads. The only reason, honestly, that I rated this book 4 stars instead of 5 stars is because, given that it was the '60s, many of the famous women from this time in history were erased completely. Simons talks only of women when talking about them as property, but we know now that many women were in the Hun and Viking armies. There were also others that played some pretty big roles during this time period, but those were the two biggest for this context. Simons brushed over all those facts, but since the '60s did a lot of brushing over a lot of facts, I'm kind of (not really) letting this slide.

Overall, I still immensely enjoyed reading this book. I actually had to renew it from the Library, because I couldn't quite finish it before I went to Europe a few weeks ago, and I just had to finish it before handing it back in. I would recommend this nonfiction text to anyone who is interested in nonfiction text book format books, anyone interested to explore in depth what exactly happened during the Medieval years, or anyone who felt this review sparked something in them. I read that this is part of a series, and, who knows, I might check out more by this author some day. It's definitely a possibility.

[Kathleen · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was published in 1968 as part of the Time Life series of books on the Great Ages of Men. It’s interesting to read as a cultural artifact of that time. The unquestioning Christian chauvinism in this book reads today quite differently than I imagine it did then. It’s interesting to think about how these books influenced people reading them on their release. As far as I understand it, these books were sold to families who hoped to be part of the educated, cultivated community. They were marketed as if they made the reader more worldly and cosmopolitan. All of that makes the pro-Western, Christian chauvinism of the book more striking. The story of the pagan societies of Northern Europe is told as the story of the Church. Most of the text is devoted to the Christians who conquered or converted the pagans. Those cultures that were ostensibly the topic of the books are given much less consideration.

[James Violand · Rating 4 out of 5]

Again, as to each book in this Time-Life series from the late sixties through the seventies, this is a good summary of each of the Great Ages of Man. This one is slightly misleading in its title because one can reasonably expect to encounter detail concerning different peoples invading what remained of the Western Roman Empire. Instead, this concerns the Early Middle Ages, with a little more than a passing comment on the these peoples - with the clear exception of the Vikings.

[Nancy Ellis · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite book of the series so far! Loved the separate sections dealing with the Germanic kingdoms established after the barbarian invasions into the Roman world and their absorption of that empire, the growth of the Church's power, medieval life, the rise of Charlemagne's Europe, the Viking invasions, and the ultimate establishment of feudalism. Exciting times!!!

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Trying to both read my way through the books I own while library visits are unfeasible and/or ill-advised, and remind myself that humanity has survived plenty of catastrophes and catastrophic “leaders”* and thus will probably survive the current ones.


*in the sense that there must be a first lemming off the cliff.

[Karl · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is another decent, well-illustrated volume in the "Great Ages" series. The book is from 1968 and seems to reflect shifting interpretations of European history: the author explicitly rejects the label of "The Dark Ages" and stresses the continuities between the early Middle Ages and late classical civilization.

[J.D. Steens · Rating 3 out of 5]

For those whose sense of Western history goes dark after Rome, this (Time-Life Great Ages of Man) book tells a good story of the Early Middle Ages (400-1000 CE) in Europe. It covers the twilight of Rome as it confronted the repeated Germanic invasions from the five main Scandinavian (barbarian) groups. After the sack of Rome (410), Germanic kingdoms were established in the landmass that was to become Europe. Barbarian energy and paganism became integrated with Roman culture and Christianity. Kings had their stable of loyalists, who in turn had their own autonomous power (land, workers and warriors). With the ascension of Charlemagne (768), the Frankish throne (old Roman Gaul) was extended considerably, giving the continent (temporarily it turns out) its first identity as Europe (Greek goddess, apparently of the territory west of the Don). At the end of the first millenium, the Vikings also came from the north and ravaged Europe. Charlemagne's empire eventually broke into numerous, autonomous centers of power that created the feudal order (900-1200) consisting of lords and masters, and the everpresent church. In time, this feudal system was broken up by systems of trade and commerce that established new centers of power. Europe then began its movement toward urbanization and toward the emergence of its great cities such as Paris, Cologne, and Venice. All in all, this historical period exhibits the same process seen in the natural world. Push by one force is resisted by another. That tension is resolved, no matter how inhumanely, and peace follows conflict until new conflict arises again.

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Writer Gerald Simons' 1968 edition of the book entitled Barbarian Europe, is a history of Europe in the ‘Dark Ages’ or Early Medieval Europe. The book covered the period from the Fall of the Roman Empire in Western Europe until the Rise of Feudalism under William the Conqueror in the 11th Century. Simons was a staff writer for Time-Life. Simons has degrees in Medieval History from Brown and Harvard Universities. The book is for the series of Time-Life Books’ Great Ages of Man. Simons’ book is probably dated, but it is still worth reading if one is interested in the historiography of early Medieval Europe. Barbarian Europe is readable. The book has a beautiful layout. A photo essay follows each chapter. A timeline is at the end of the book. I did not know much about early Medieval Europe, so I enjoyed reading the book. Barbarian Europe covers The Fall of Roman Empire in Western Europe, “The Germanic Kingdoms” (32), “Kings and Clerics’ (56), Early Medieval European legal systems, early Medieval European Christianity, “Charlemagne's Europe” (100), the creation of European Feudalism, and “A New Europe” (164). The book is 184 pages (not including the Timeline), so the book covers a lot of ground in 184 pages. Even though it was dated I did not regret spending time reading the book, Barbarian Europe.

[Christopher · Rating 5 out of 5]

For a book that was written back in the 60's, it is just as valuable an insight into the early medieval period today as it was then. A thorough introduction into this time period which challenges the traditional, popular and, most importantly, inaccurate conception of the mislabeled "Dark Ages". The date this was published is telling of just how much work remains in changing the preconceived notions most people have of this era as just a gap in human achievement between the Roman Empire and the Renaissance. I only wish I had read this book when I began my medievalist career. Wonderful as an introduction to the Medieval period, and a great refresher for the seasoned medievalist.

[David Ward · Rating 3 out of 5]

Barbarian Europe - The Great Ages of Man Series (Great Ages of Man) by Gerald Simons (Time-Life Books 1968)(940.1). This is a volume from Time Life's great series "The Ages of Man." I picked it up from the free bin at our local used book store. It's a great book - hardcover too! My rating: 7/10, finished 7/14/14.

[Leonard Pierce · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorite of the "Great Ages of Man" series -- lively prose, gorgeous use of design, art and realia, and an interesting modern approach to the barbarian presence in Rome.