A short history of the Middle Ages /

Although extremely short (204 pages of text), this well-written introduction to medieval Europe presents a very well balanced coverage of the time period. While the focus is the medieval West, the book also integrates the Byzantine, Islamic, Mongol, and Ottoman empires, thus allowing for a broader view of the period. Rosenwein (Loyola Univ.) has also incorporated some of the most recent academic scholarship into her text, creating the most up-to-date survey of medieval Europe available. Following a brief prelude, she divides the work into two parts, each covering roughly the early (600-1050) and the later (1050-1500) Middle Ages. Plates, maps, and genealogies are generously distributed throughout the work. Each chapter concludes with suggestions for further reading, and there is a convenient index. General readers and higher. A. G. Traver Southeastern Louisiana University