|
Atlas of the Medieval World | 
 enlarge | Author: Rosamond Mckitterick
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Category: Book
List Price: $47.95
Buy New: $22.85
You Save: $25.10 (52%)
Avg. Customer Rating:  3 reviews
Sales Rank: 452160
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 304
Shipping Weight (lbs): 3.4
Dimensions (in): 11.1 x 9 x 1.1
ISBN: 0195221583
Dewey Decimal Number: 909.070223
EAN: 9780195221589
ASIN: 0195221583
Publication Date: December 9, 2004
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Condition: SHIPS TODAY!! BRAND NEW BOOK, MAY HAVE REMAINDER MARK
|
| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
Forged in an age of faith and war and tempered by great statesmen, religious leaders and artists, medieval civilizations witnessed remarkable transformations. Far from being a homogeneous world of knights and castles, the era saw a multitude of contrasting and often competing cultures, many of which became the foundation stones for the emergence of modern societies. From the expansion of Islam across the Mediterranean to the appearance of centralized states and Christian monarchies, the Atlas of the Medieval World draws from new archival and archaeological evidence to reveal a period of astonishing cultural vibrancy and political diversity. Alongside stunning maps covering nearly a millennium of one of the most formative phases in history, hundreds of exquisite pictures of art and architecture accompany expertly written text edited by Rosamond McKitterick, Professor of Early Medieval History at Cambridge University to bring an extraordinary period to life as no reference has before. The Arab invasions of Europe, the empire of Charlemagne, the African kingdoms of Songhai and Mali, the Crusades, the Viking and Mongol invasions, the Delhi sultanate and the T'ang and Ming empires are just a few of the subjects explained in the Atlas of the Medieval World. What's more, cultural and economic trends such as the spread of literacy and the growth of towns receive equal attention alongside the emergence of kingdoms and the march of armies to form a comprehensive history of all major societies outside of the Americas during the Middle Ages.
|
| Customer Reviews:
 A useful overview poorly put together and poorly edited July 26, 2008
Well, I guess it's helpful as a quick guide, but their is a terrible lack of correlation between the text, the images, and the maps. In many cases, the geographical locations discussed in the text (even in the title of a section) is not indicated on the associated map!
This work appears to be a collection of short pieces on various areas and times, with the associated maps being whatever Oxford University Press (OUP) had laying around for that period. Often, the main focus of the map is unrelated to the main focus of the text. Often, the spelling of a place name in the text differs from that on the map (they may both be correct, but the lack of consistency makes the use of the maps and text together more difficult, and further implies that the maps were not generated to support the text, or vice-versa).
The maps alone may be useful, and the text alone may be useful, but you'll often go crazy trying to find a label on the map showing the area being discussed in the text. For example, the two maps in the section entitled "The Delhi Sultanate and the Vijayanagara India" indicate neither the location of the Delhi Sultinate or that of the Vijayanagara empire.
The captions to images sometimes fail to even identify what the image is (e.g., a work of art with no reference to the artist or period or source).
In one example, the page of text primarily discussing the Swiss Confederation (1300-1500) holds a figure related to Burgundy and a map (facing) of "Burgundy under Charles the Bold". Turn the page, and you find text primarily discussing Burgundy (1300-1500) with a map of "The Swiss Confederation" and a painting showing Burghers of the Swiss Confederation city of Lucerne being sworn in.
On top of all this, there are far more typos that one would expect from OUP. Though many are minor (odd or missing punctuation, single letter misspellings, etc), the frequency indicates sloppy proof-reading.
Bottom line - it appears that OUP rushed this one out; throwing in whatever maps covered the area and time period of the text; a quick proof read; but not much more. Even so, each individual section does contain a good textual overview, and the maps (considered as stand-alone references) can be useful for the purpose for which they were originally drafted.
 Remarkable Atlas March 24, 2008
I purchased this book to enhance my paltry knowledge of a whole era / epoch. The atlas absolutely overwhelmed me with both the maps and the teaser articles.
Conceptually, it's a brilliant collection - It seems to be accurate with the myriad transitions which happened over the amazingly long, dark period it covers. I've ended up using it both as an adjunct font of research material and a printed source which is entertaining and enlightening to read. My paltry knowledge is a little less paltry having purchased this book.
 Good for non-academic readers or beginners to medieval history November 11, 2006
15 out of 15 found this review helpful
Rosamond McKitterick has done some fantastic research on the early Middle Ages, and that's why I bought this book. However, this is not the kind of book that McKitterick wrote or edited before. Academic readers, especially medievalists, may disappointedly find that this is what they need. Not to say that it is not good: It is beautifully printed and contains lots of illustrations and introductory texts about medieval Europe (a small part on China, India and the Islamic world). Thus it is suitable for non-academic readers to get into medieval history. For academic readers, the illustrations are too many and unnecessary; the texts and atlases are introductory and not detailed enough. They may be useful in undergraduate lectures but not in research.
|
|
|
| | Bestsellers | | • | MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, Sixth Edition | | • | The Elements of Style, Fourth Edition | | • | A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, Seventh Edition: Chicago Style for Students and Researchers (Chicago Guides to Writing, Editing, and Publishing) | | • | The Craft of Research, Third Edition (Chicago Guides to Writing, Editing, and Publishing) | | • | They Say/I Say: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing | | • | On Writing Well, 30th Anniversary Edition: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction | | • | The Chicago Manual of Style | | • | Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life | | • | Practical Research: Planning and Design (8th Edition) | | • | Desk Reference to the Diagnostic Criteria From DSM-IV-TR |
|
|
|
|
