Powers and Thrones - Dan Jones

⭐ 9.5/10

(Originally written by Joseph)

This is YET ANOTHER history of the Middle Ages, which I know is a lot, but hey, I don't control what comes off hold at the library. Still, of all the histories of medieval (mostly) Europe, I feel pretty confident that this is my favorite. If I could recommend a starting point, I think this would be it. It reminded me a bit of Guns, Germs and Steel where it was huge, overarching, and yet super accessible, entertaining, and superbly interesting.

I think the thing that sets this one apart is that Dan Jones is an actual writer rather than a History academic. Usually I try to stick with people who are respected in their historical fields (and it seems like historians like him just fine), but it is hard to deny that Jones just makes this more interesting for the reader. It's not that he writes with a ton of flair, or inserts interesting commentary, but rather it's simply that he seems to have a gift for knowing what casual readers want to know. He does an amazing job of setting up these epic events so you feel their weight and scale in history. He knows all these great tricks, like name dropping a big character the line before their chapter begins, something like "But this all came to a head under the leadership of perhaps Britons greatest military commander: Richard the Lionheart." Now if that doesn't get you to turn the page, what will?!

This book also manages to integrate lots of topics and trends into the greater narrative. He talks about the birth of architecture when it comes to castles and churches, and what spurred them on. He talks about the massive impact of the black death, or the Mongolian invasion, and is able to frame New World exploration into the larger arc. I just think he does a great job of weaving in all these major events and makes it make sense within what comes before it, giving it all context and reasoning. It's definitely the kind of book that makes you feel smarter for reading it.

One thing I've come to be picky about is historians trying to moralize while telling a story, telling us who was guilty of what. I think this book is much more balanced. He doesn't gloss over the atrocities that happened over this period, nor does he ever become preachy. I thought he handled a lot of tough things, from the Crusades to Columbus, with a healthier perspective.

Overall, I think this is the first history book I'd recommend for people interested in this era. It's super readable, though of course you'll get bogged down by names and locations at times. It's very long, but it covers so many topics and eras that it never feels like it's droning on with one subject. Totally recommend, and I look forward to trying his other boo

ks.