The medieval world An illustrated atlas

This beautifully produced book contains a general survey of the political and intellectual history of western Europe, accompanied by numerous illustrations. Little account is taken of scholarship in the field in the past 20 years, and almost no space is given to social or economic history. The many pictures in vivid color suffer from brief, uninformative captions and are not integrated into the text. Often, the date and origin of the image can be found only by consulting the tiny print of the picture credits in the back. The biggest disappointment is the maps, which are small and sketchy, showing mostly political borders and no topographical features. National Geographic surely has better maps than these. The book fails to discuss the subject of geography and how it influences history. There are a number of beautiful images of medieval maps, but virtually no explanation of them. Special features include a full treatment of some female characters and, for each century, an essay on a chosen city and a world map illustrated with an object chosen from each of several non-European cultures. Summing Up: Optional. Keep it on the coffee table. E. Edson emerita, Piedmont Virginia Community College