History of the Medieval World- A review

I have been using the Story of the World by Susan Wise Bauer series as part of our History curriculum. When the opportunity arose to preview The History of the Medieval World for the promise that I would do my best to review the book on my blog I took the opportunity. As my oldest is but a few scant years away from high school I looked forward to reading this book since it is aimed at high school students.

I enjoyed the book. The material is not dumbed down. It is presented in a way that makes you want to continue. As I started reading the first chapter I felt myself drawn into Constantine's world. I learned a few things I did not know before. The material is easy to follow and you are helped along with a generous sprinkling of maps so you can see where you are in the world.

Writing the history of the world is no easy task. When I was in school (back when dinosaurs roamed the earth, well at least pre-internet) if it didn't happen in Europe or America we just didn't learn about it. Oh, there was a week or two spent on China and Japan but that was it. In this book you get to see Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. This allows one to see the world together. You gain an understanding of what was happening all over the globe and how each culture had an impact on the other.

As a non-Christian I found it fascinating to see how Christianity went from being barely tolerated to a major player in history. It also gave me plenty of ideas to research further as I teach my own children. I think The History of the Medieval World will make a fine addition to any high schoolers studies.