Medieval Horizons
Why the Middle Ages Matter
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Vintage Publishing
Published:22nd Feb '24
£10.99
Available for immediate dispatch.
The essential introduction to the Middle Ages by the bestselling author of The Time Traveller's Guide to Medieval England
We tend to think of the Middle Ages as a dark, backward and unchanging time characterised by violence, ignorance and superstition. By contrast we believe progress arose from science and technological innovation, and that inventions of recent centuries created the modern world.
We couldn't be more wrong. As Ian Mortimer shows in this fascinating book, people's horizons - their knowledge, experience and understanding of the world - expanded dramatically. Life was utterly transformed between 1000 and 1600, marking the transition from a warrior-led society to that of Shakespeare.
Just as The Time Traveller's Guide to Medieval England revealed what it was like to live in the fourteenth century, Medieval Horizons provides the perfect primer to the era as a whole. It outlines the enormous cultural changes that took place - from literacy to living standards, inequality and even the developing sense of self - thereby correcting misconceptions and presenting the period as a revolutionary age of fundamental importance in the development of the Western world.
Praise for Ian Mortimer:
'The endlessly inventive Ian Mortimer is the most remarkable medieval historian of our time' - The Times
A sparkling re-evalutation of the Middle Ages ... An eye-opening book that challenges our preconceptions and prejudices about the past—Mail on Sunday
Ian Mortimer is a wonderfully readable writer—Daily Mail
Medieval Horizons doesn't set out to be a comprehensive survey of medieval England, but rather challenges us to rethink the Middle Ages and its social, cultural and intellectual innovations. Mortimer is a compelling advocate for our medieval inheritance. He is right that we should be proud of it —The Times
In this razor-sharp book, Mortimer argues the case for the wonder of the Middle Ages with rigour, verve and, above all, evidence—Spectator
[A] spirited defence of the era ... Compelling stuff from one of the leading experts on the subjects—History Revealed
The word 'medieval' has become synonymous with 'backwards, ignorant, violent and superstitious.' But here Mortimer reminds us that our modern world is not the result of the technological developments of the past few centuries. Instead, our cultural, personal, social and environmental identities were forged in the medieval period. By shedding light on the important developments made from the first millennium to 1600, Mortimer asks us to redraw our understanding of the past—Janina Ramirez, Sunday Times-bestselling author of Femina
Provocative and refreshing. Medieval Horizonsoverturns many myths about the Middle Ages, showing that far from an era of stagnation, it was a period of profound change which has shaped today's world—Seb Falk, author of The Light Ages
Superb ... Mortimer allows us to make wonderfully compelling connections with our forebears—Guardian on The Time Traveller's Guide to Medieval England
His aim, triumphantly achieved, is to engage our sympathies with people whose similarities to us are as fascinating as their differences—Sunday Telegraph on The Time Traveller's Guide to Medieval England
Perhaps the most enjoyable history book I've read all year—Independent on The Time Traveller's Guide to Medieval England
The endlessly inventive Ian Mortimer is the most remarkable medieval historian of our time—The Times on The Time Traveller's Guide to Medieval England
Fascinating—Times Literary Supplement
ISBN: 9781529920802
Dimensions: 197mm x 129mm x 15mm
Weight: 196g
256 pages