My latest research book. It's more of a gazetteer of church, chapels, and monastic houses in the Marchlands, without stories of actual times/situationMy latest research book. It's more of a gazetteer of church, chapels, and monastic houses in the Marchlands, without stories of actual times/situations when the residents fled there, which is understandable, and yet, for my purposes, makes it not terribly useful. I mostly skimmed: not the book's fault, just my needs. Still, it's quite exhaustively researched, with pix & some diagrams, and some great maps, before the Introduction & before each chapter/section. I always love reading almost any account of the border areas in the middle ages, as it was so wild and lawless (aka: perfect for drama) so I liked the Introduction (for its summary) & the Conclusion (for its additional details.)...more
I gave this 5 stars b/c it was exactly what I wanted--packed full of information, w/ loads of facts and many illustrative anecdotes. I saw reviews sayI gave this 5 stars b/c it was exactly what I wanted--packed full of information, w/ loads of facts and many illustrative anecdotes. I saw reviews saying the writing style wasn't engaging, but it totally worked for me....more
The illustrations in this book are stunning. I also greatly enjoyed his accompanying text, the small vignettes about his travels retracing the medievaThe illustrations in this book are stunning. I also greatly enjoyed his accompanying text, the small vignettes about his travels retracing the medieval Spice Route. His stories could be amusing, reflective, insightful, provocative, startling, and sometimes beautiful. His illustrations *always* were. From "An Indian Bus Ride" and "678 Steps of Horror" (both lessons on why one should always heed the locals), to his his impressions (and illustrations) of Pagan, to his story of debilitating vertigo on a bridge in Genoa, to the surprise of "My Addict Driver 'Quat'", every page held more than I'd expected. They were all his own personal impressions and opinions, and as a fan of historical journals, this worked for me. And then to have such gorgeous, almost addictive illustrations? In short, from cover to cover, this book was a pleasure. I've re-read and re-looked more times than I can count.
I'm not a collector by nature, and not terribly acquisitive about 'things,' but when I read in the Foreward that all the pictures in the book are already owned by private collectors, I felt a surge of irrational fury at them, for taking away my opportunity to have one of these illustrations I'd never be able to afford anyhow. ...more
An aside: I really wish Goodreads allowed 1/2 stars...
I appreciated so many things bout this book, right down to the gloss paper and wonderful full-coAn aside: I really wish Goodreads allowed 1/2 stars...
I appreciated so many things bout this book, right down to the gloss paper and wonderful full-color images thought the book (hardcover version). I had the sense that I was reading from a scholar, but also someone who loved the world he was writing about. He traveled the routes he spoke of, albeit in the 20th century.
I enjoy historical journals, and so this was a treat for me. While much of the "fleshing out" was done by the author, the rationale for how he made hiI enjoy historical journals, and so this was a treat for me. While much of the "fleshing out" was done by the author, the rationale for how he made his decisions seemed sound, and added the sort of details than are so often lacking in the more sweeping academic texts that run the accounts of lives of kings and nobles, and deal with treaties and land- and heiress-swaps. Alternately, this book touched on a variety of the everyday sorts of things a person living in the times would have known/experienced, and that sort of breadth is impossible to find in the books that hone in on a specific topic.
It was a bit dense of a read, with a self-conscious, at times almost professiorial tone, and it's not the sort of book to pick up and skim through, looking for factoids (although the index is useful.) It may be less useful for straight-up, fact-checking research, and better for immersing yourself in when you're in the mood....more
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