Powers and Thrones: A New History of the Middle Ages -- Dan Jones

<b><b>Not only an engrossing read about the distant past, both informative and entertaining, but also a profoundly thought-provoking view of our not-really-so-'new' present . . . All medieval history is here, beautifully narrated . . . The vision takes in whole imperial landscapes but also makes room for intimate portraits of key individuals, and even some poems.<i><b>--Wall Street Journal</b></i> <p/>A lively history . . . [Jones] has managed to touch every major topic. As each piece of the puzzle is placed into position, the modern world gradually comes into view . . . <i>Powers and Thrones</i> provides the reader with a framework for understanding a complicated subject, and it tells the story of an essential era of world history with skill and style.<i>--The New York Times<br></i></b><br><b>The<i> New York Times</i> bestselling author returns with an epic history of the medieval world--a rich and complicated reappraisal of an era whose legacy and lessons we are still living with today.</b></b> <p/>When the once-mighty city of Rome was sacked by barbarians in 410 and lay in ruins, it signaled the end of an era--and the beginning of a thousand years of profound transformation. In a gripping narrative bursting with big names--from St Augustine and Attila the Hun to the Prophet Muhammad and Eleanor of Aquitaine--Dan Jones charges through the history of the Middle Ages. <i>Powers and Throne</i>s takes readers on a journey through an emerging Europe, the great capitals of late