Review: It's a Feudal, Feudal World A Different Medieval History by Stephen Shapiro; art by Ross Kinnaird

SUMMARY FROM NETGALLEY.COM:

Enter a medieval world unlike any you've seen before.
Welcome to an innovative and reader-friendly approach to medieval history, one that combines visually appealing infographics, whimsical cartoons, and lively, information text. Each spread offers a snapshot that highlights an aspect of the diversity and intercultural dynamics of the medieval world, from Europe to the Byzantine, Ottoman, and Islamic empires.
Readers get the inside scoop on crusaders and caliphs, Mongols and midwives, as they read about expanding trade routes, power shifts, conquests, adventure, and persecutions. The result is a colorful and varied picture of what life was like a thousand years ago.

MY TAKE:
I've always found medieval history fascinating.

In It's a Feudal, Feudal World, information about the Middle Ages is presented through a mix of illustrations, infographics, and text.

The book is illustration/infographic-heavy, which really helps keep the reader's interest. The dialogue and the comments in the illustrations are also quite funny. This means, though, that it reads like an almanac, instead of some nonfiction reference books that are mostly paragraph after paragraph of information.

In terms of information provided, some of the information should be familiar to anyone who likes medieval history or has watched documentaries or movies about it. There are plenty of facts, though, that most people probably wouldn't be familiar with. For example, I know about fiefs, but this was the first time that I've read about allods, pronoias and timars.

Thanks to NetGalley and Annick Press Ltd. for the e-copy.

THE GOOD:

1. The infographics are funny .
2. There are plenty of new information to be found, even for those who are familiar with the Middle Ages.
3. It covers a lot of material.

THE BAD:

1. Some may find the sequence of information to be random or not clearly structured.

FAVORITE QUOTE/S:

I can't wait until they invent supermarkets.

READ IT IF:

1. Your child likes the Middle Ages.
2. Your child likes learning new facts.
3. Your child likes infographics.

RATING:


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