by Ian Mortimer
Rating: ***
I would recommend this book if you are interested in the period. However, despite starting really well, there were chapters that were over-long and tended to get bogged down in detail that were not as engaging as some of the earlier chapters. This may well be a subjective point of view as I was not particularly absorbed in the chapters concerning medicine other than a general day-to-day overview. I also could not help feeling that, despite the obvious depth of research, the author was following a formulaic, tried and tested route that he had done with his previous works of this style. Not necessarily a criticism but one wonders how many periods in history you can genuinely be engaged with, without over-reliance on regurgitating source material. But, on the whole, well worth a read if this era interests you.
Buy from:
Comments