Medieval Europe

In each volume of the World History series, Nardo distills a great deal of historical material into a focused, succinct, and well-organized presentation. Tracing centuries of development and change, the discussion develops key ideas through examples that bring them more sharply into focus. Adding weight to these ideas are well-sourced quotes from people writing during the period as well as modern scholars. The many color illustrations include maps, artworks such as paintings and sculptures, and photos of historical sites and artifacts. Besides looking at the broad development of nation states, Medieval Europe considers significant elements of social structure, the manorial system, urban life, warfare, famine, plague, and the changing role of the church during the period. Useful for research, the series offers a solid combination of information and historical perspective.--Phelan, Carolyn Copyright 2010 Booklist

Gr 6-9-These serviceable texts, decorated with archival illustrations of classical scenes and architecture, are a little dry and a little strange. They rely heavily on sources written by one or two scholars, and the bibliographies list few primary sources, although Greece includes brief passages from Thucydides and Herodotus. Nardo quotes historians at length, but the copious bracketed clarifications can be distracting, and there is an inconsistent use of ancient place names and their modern equivalents. One strength of the titles is the pertinent, interesting, and illustrated sidebars. The majority of the illustrations in these books is taken from earlier texts-an interesting choice, given the large amount of fine art available from each period. Some reproductions and a few photographs of ancient sites as they now appear are included. Margins are generous but not overly so; the book design is simple and readable, with texts placed on a background imitating aged paper. Each volume contains at least a couple of statements that could at best be described as disputable. Rome is called "the first urban civilization"; "Greek thinkers were the first people to fashion a systematic. approach to science"; democracy "is today the most prevalent and desirable form of government in the world"; and "theater was invented by the ancient Greeks." These, combined with a subtle but noticeable preoccupation with the Christian religion (in Rome, there is an emphasis on the legacy of Rome, including Christianity as "the principal religion of the late Roman world," and in a chapter about town life in Medieval Europe a section titled "Men and Women" begins with the unsupported statement, "Both men and women attended these churches with equal faith in and love for God"), erode the credibility of the texts.-Paula Willey, Baltimore County Public Library, Towson, MD (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Nardo explores three civilizations that informed modern Western culture, covering a multitude of topics, encompassing many aspects of each culture. Many pictures and sidebars offer a closer look at specific topics. Quotes from primary sources and historians flesh out details as well. The text is densely packed but is rich in detail. Timeline, websites. Bib., glos., ind. [Review covers these World History titles: Classical Civilization: Greece, Classical Civilization: Rome, and Medieval Europe.] (c) Copyright 2012. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.