Atlas of Medieval Man

By Colin Platt

Book Overview

Provides an overview of the world that spans 5 centuries & an astonishing period of human progress. It begins in the year 1000 & ends in 1500 -- soon after Columbus is known to have reached the New World. Each chapter covers a century & charts the concurrent developments -- in politics, religion, warfare, exploration, technology, &, chiefly, material culture -- that occurred in the known parts of the world during those 500 years. Emphasizes the arts & architecture but also outlines the historical background to each century, introducing the major events & the social & political forces that were instrumental in shaping the cultures of the world. Color & black & white illustrations.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312059930
• ISBN13: 9780312059934
• Release Date: January 1980
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 2.80 lbs.

Customer Reviews

From the cover ...

The Atlas of Medieval man provides an overview of the world over five hundred years. It begins in the year 1000 - around the time that Leif Ericsson may have set foot in the New World - and ends in 1500 - soon after Columbus is known to have reached it. Each chapter covers a century and charts the concurrent developments - in politics, religion, warfare, exploration, technology and, chiefly, material culture - that occurred in the known parts of the globe during those hundred years. White Colin Platt lays particular emphasis on simultaneous progress in the arts and in architecture; he outlines the historical background to each century, introducing the major events and the social and political forces which may have been instrumental in shaping the cultures. And that background is continuously dramatic: the Crusades; the Black Death; the Norman Conquests; Papal Schism; pilgrimage and heresy; the Hundred Years War; Tartars and Ottomans; Aztecs and Incas; the decline of Byzantium, the spread of Islam; the rise of the Ming; the patronage of the Medicis ... The Atlas of Medieval Man is profusely illustrated with drawings, photographs, maps and charts which serve to clarify for the lay reader What Happened at the Same Time as What. At the same time the book is an authoritative survey of the diverse cultural strands that run through the period which Europeans know as the Middle Ages.

Dry but informative, visuals worth the price of admission

"The Atlas of Medieval Man" consists of text and a large number of photos, maps, and other visuals. While the text is well-rounded, covering each major area of civilization rather than just Europe, as is common, it is rather dryly written. Information is plentiful, but one can get bogged down; that's where the visuals come in. This book has a stunning array of artifact photos, architecture photos, manuscript reproductions, maps, etc. which outclass any other volume under $50. From the 11th century Hindu temple carvings to the stained glass of 14th century Europe, to the Aztec crystal skull of the 15th century, this book is a feast for the eyes as well as mind.