A scholarly but involving history of the Middle Ages, roughly covering the 5th—15th centuries. Hanawalt aptly sets the stage with an introduction that outlines the importance of “emperors, kings, battles, crusades, feudalism, manorialism, the rise of towns, the growth of parliament, universities, and the Church,” as well as “how average people experienced life in the Middle Ages.” She discusses the three prominent cultures (Roman, Christian, German), the first autobiography ever written (Augustine’s Confessions), three empires (Carolingian, Byzantine, Arab), architecture, ideas, monastic orders, bubonic plague, Magna Carta, Abelard’s romance with Heloise, as well as various communities and their members. Richly illustrated with black-and-white medieval maps, drawings, illustrations, photographs, documents, and artifacts, this impressive history captures an era—its glory and its breadth. (chronology, glossary, further reading, index) (Nonfiction. 12+)
Pub Date: Nov. 1, 1998
ISBN: 0-19-510359-9
Page Count: 158
Publisher: Oxford Univ.
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 1998
BOOK REVIEW
To modern Mexicans, ``Malinchismo'' has come to be synonymous with betrayal. This fictionalized biography of the Indian princess, sold into slavery by her own mother, who became Cortez's interpreter and consultant in his conquest of Mexico and mother of two of his children, successfully reinterprets her misunderstood role. Dur†n's Malinche is an intelligent, passionate young woman who understands her people's oppression at the hands of the Aztec rulers and admires Cortez as a man rather than as Queztalcoatl, the Plumed Serpent God (according to legend, the true heir, due to reclaim the empire). Malinche's connection with La Llorona (a Mexican folk ghost, an old woman crying for her children) is briefly referred to at the end. Rudolfo Anaya's short adult novel, La Llorona (1984), provides a different version of this connection, less grounded in historical fact but more effective in explaining both women as mythological figures. More accessible to YA readers, Dur†n's book is rich in descriptions of customs, spiritual practices, ritual ceremonies, and the vastness and diversity of the Aztec empire at the time of the conquest. A well-researched introduction to a complex chapter in the history of the Americas. Pronouncing dictionary; bibliographical note discussing primary and secondary sources (Fiction. 13+)
Pub Date: April 1, 1993
ISBN: 0-208-02343-7
Page Count: 222
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 1993
Gottfried brings Libya's colorful political history to life in a well-written, in-depth summary that's remarkable for its balance in treating an avowed enemy of the US. After drawing readers' interest with examples of Libyan hostility toward America, he provides just enough background information (mentioning an American invasion in 1803) to set the stage for a thorough description of Muammar el-Qaddafi's rise to power and subsequent rule. While thoroughly condemning Libyan aggression and support of terrorism, Gottfried is careful to mention Qaddafi's social reforms, particularly the improvement in the status of women. Enlightening and informative. B&w photos; a few source notes; extensive chronology; basic ``Facts About Libya''; ``Recommended Reading'' (adult); index. (Nonfiction. 12+)
Pub Date: Jan. 1, 1994
ISBN: 1-56294-351-0
Page Count: 160
Publisher: Millbrook
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1994
BOOK REVIEW
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