The History of the Medieval World (Susan Wise Bauer)

The History of the Medieval World is volume 2 of Susan Wise Bauer's trilogy (volumes 1 and 3 deal with the Ancient and Renaissance worlds, respectively).  Here, she covers years 312 to 1129 (from the Christian conversion of Roman Emperor Constantine to the First Crusade).  The bulk of the work is on Europe and the Mediterranean region (the Middle East and North Africa), but also deals with China, India, Korea/Japan, and the Americas (in decreasing order of volume of material).

This is a good book.  Her history is largely political but also covers major developments in religion.  She focuses on the rise and fall of empires and rulers, and discusses the ever-shifting relationship between church* and state.  Bauer writes well and manages to make the complexities and inter-relationships of history simple, succinct, and understandable- quite impressive.  Like a compelling historian and storyteller, she deals not just with the "what" but with the "why" and "how" of history.  It's amazing how much Medieval history has shaped our modern world, and reading this book gave me a new appreciation for the importance of studying the past to understand the present.  This is probably the best survey history that I've read; highly recommended.

Rating:A

*by church I mean all religious institutions, regardless of faith