Kirkus Review In their latest medieval study, the Gieses (Life in a Medieval Village, 1990, etc.) explode the myth that the Middle Ages were unconcerned with the empirical and demonstrate that the Renaissance itself was the outcome of gradual progress made over the previous thousand years. Contemporary readers-prone to take computers and smart bombs for granted-will learn much from this chronicle of monks writing on lime-treated parchments and of knights fighting with newly devised stirrups. While most of the technological development was anonymous and practical, medieval advances in fields such as astronomy and navigation led directly toward the feats of Copernicus and Columbus.
In the fields, peasants used a new harness (from China) to put the horse to work in place of the ox in the forge, the blacksmith developed case-hardened tools for the carpenter on the open seas, the sailor manipulated the new lanteen sail to guide ships constructed with radical new hull designs. Rather, the archaeological and historical record reveals that medieval Europeans borrowed discoveries from other lands (such as the compass, Hindu-Arabic numbers, gunpowder, and paper) and developed their own indigenous technologies (such as those in wind and water mills), so making continual progress in the use of natural resources. Already well known for their extensive research into medieval history and social life, the Gieses here explode the myth of the Dark Ages, showing that the Fall of Rome did not plunge Europe into stagnation and lethargy. No redistribution permitted.īooklist Review The flame of human ingenuity burned with surprising intensity during the medieval centuries. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. Cramer, Virginia Polytechnic & State Univ. Highly recommended for all collections.- Michael D. Informative, readable, enjoyable, and well written, this work is directed to general readers. Throughout, they nimbly weave medieval cultural history into the discussion.
their known or probable sources, and their principal impacts.'' In addition to the technological developments highlighted in the book's title, the authors cover such topics as the textile industry and shipbuilding/rigging, plus obligatory topics like printing, engineering, and gunpowder.
Joseph Gies graduated from the University of Michigan in 1939.Library Journal Review Moving chronologically through a millennium (500-1500 A.D.), the authors (who have written numerous books on medieval life, including Life in a Medieval City, LJ 2/1/70) show that the term ``Dark Ages'' is a misnomer by deftly tracing the period's ``main technological elements. Frances Gies (J– December 18, 2013) and Joseph Gies (Octo– April 13, 2006) were historians and writers who collaborated on a number of books about the Middle Ages, and also wrote individual works.
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