Powers and Thrones: A New History of the Middle Ages
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- Create Date：2021-09-03 17:20:58
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Dan Jones
- ISBN：B08Y6L23TR
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Summary
Dan Jones's epic new history tells the story of how the world we know today came to be built。 It is a thousand-year adventure that moves from Rome， sacked by barbarians in AD 410， to the first contacts between the old and new worlds in the sixteenth century。 It shows how， from a state of crisis and collapse， the West was rebuilt and came to dominate the entire globe。 The book identifies three key themes that underpinned the success of the West: commerce， conquest and Christianity。
Across 16 chapters， blending Dan Jones' narrative shows how， at each stage in this story， successive western powers thrived by attracting – or stealing – the most valuable resources， ideas and people from the rest of the world。 It casts new light on iconic locations – Rome， Paris， Venice， Constantinople – and it features some of history's most famous and notorious men and women。
Across 16 chapters， blending Dan Jones' narrative shows how， at each stage in this story， successive western powers thrived by attracting – or stealing – the most valuable resources， ideas and people from the rest of the world。 It casts new light on iconic locations – Rome， Paris， Venice， Constantinople – and it features some of history's most famous and notorious men and women。
Reviews
Daphne Sharpe
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What a book！ It has taken me nearly a month to read with so much detail， yet there is also humour， thankfully。 Political power， religious battles and schisms， disease（ COVID-19 is not the first pandemic） ， trade wars， weapons and punishments， all combine to take the reader on a fascinating journey through The Middle Ages。 I really enjoyed the Islamic section， the story of its creation and evolution is pertinent today。 The story of the Camels and the water will stay with me forever， I can’t get r What a book！ It has taken me nearly a month to read with so much detail， yet there is also humour， thankfully。 Political power， religious battles and schisms， disease（ COVID-19 is not the first pandemic） ， trade wars， weapons and punishments， all combine to take the reader on a fascinating journey through The Middle Ages。 I really enjoyed the Islamic section， the story of its creation and evolution is pertinent today。 The story of the Camels and the water will stay with me forever， I can’t get rid of that image！！ I will have to reread some of the chapters， there are so many similar names and numerous battles， but you cannot fault the research！ History is written by the winners and each era demands and deserves careful consideration。 Yes， it is a weighty tome， but we have a lot of history to cover。 It helps to open the eyes and minds to past events that have consequences still being played out today。 A five star read。 Thanks to Netgalley and Head of Zeus publishers for my ARC， in return for my honest， unbiased and freely given opinions 。 I will leave reviews to Goodreads and other outlets later。 。。。more
Lou
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Powers & Thrones takes a comprehensive， captivating and entertaining look at the enduring legacy of the Middle Ages in the form of supremely talented historian， broadcaster and award-winning journalist Dan Jones’ narrative nonfiction。 This is an epic reappraisal of the medieval world--and the rich and complicated legacy left to us by the rise of the West。 When the once-mighty city of Rome was sacked by barbarians in 410 and lay in ruins， it signalled the end of an era--and the beginning of a tho Powers & Thrones takes a comprehensive， captivating and entertaining look at the enduring legacy of the Middle Ages in the form of supremely talented historian， broadcaster and award-winning journalist Dan Jones’ narrative nonfiction。 This is an epic reappraisal of the medieval world--and the rich and complicated legacy left to us by the rise of the West。 When the once-mighty city of Rome was sacked by barbarians in 410 and lay in ruins， it signalled 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。 Powers and Thrones takes readers on a journey through an emerging Europe， the great capitals of late Antiquity， as well as the influential cities of the Islamic West， and culminates in the first contact between the old and new worlds in the sixteenth century。The medieval world was forged by the big forces that still occupy us today: climate change， pandemic disease， mass migration， and technological revolutions。 This was the time when the great European nationalities were formed; when our basic Western systems of law and governance were codified; when the Christian Churches matured as both powerful institutions and the regulators of Western public morality; and when art， architecture， philosophical inquiry and scientific invention went through periods of massive， revolutionary change。 At each stage in this story， successive western powers thrived by attracting--or stealing--the most valuable resources， ideas， and people from the rest of the world。 The West was rebuilt on the ruins of an empire and emerged from a state of crisis and collapse to dominate the region and the world。 Every sphere of human life and activity was transformed in the thousand years of Powers and Thrones。 As we face a critical turning point in our own millennium， the legacy and lessons of how we got here matter more than ever。 A richly informative， magnificent and eminently readable history of the Middle Ages in which Jones takes present-day preoccupations and analyses them， playing them out in a different time。 Just as A Distant Mirror was about the calamities of the twentieth century reflected in the fourteenth century， this focuses on twenty-first-century preoccupations， things like climate change， big migrations of people， big technological changes， the emergence of nations and the relationship between individual states and big dominant superstructures。 It is looking at all of the things we think about now， concerning the Middle Ages。 Highly recommended。 。。。more
Nikki Brooks
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I haven't read any of the authors other books but I'm a total history junkie （Discovery & History Channels are my faves）。 I loved the series he did on British Castles so this was a no-brainer for me。I do have a degree in History and Classical Studies but you could be just a bored lay-person or military veteran and you could get a great deal of knowledge and enjoyment from this book。 It does encompass a vast time period （from 400AD-Renaissance）。 It has a distinct focus on Western Europe and the p I haven't read any of the authors other books but I'm a total history junkie （Discovery & History Channels are my faves）。 I loved the series he did on British Castles so this was a no-brainer for me。I do have a degree in History and Classical Studies but you could be just a bored lay-person or military veteran and you could get a great deal of knowledge and enjoyment from this book。 It does encompass a vast time period （from 400AD-Renaissance）。 It has a distinct focus on Western Europe and the peoples that they were directly in contact with/influenced by。 It's not your day in the life of kind of read -it concentrates more on the forces that can be outside factors on the power bases- such as the movement of people， diseases and ideas， and the big game-changer - religion。The sections are broke down into easy to manage chunks and you could easily just go to whatever chapters interested you most。 I'm more of a Classical History buff so I loved the earlier chapters dealing with the decline of the Roman Empire in the West。There are great maps that help you to track shifting borders/powers and a HUGE selection of further reading in various topics contained within the book for anything which might have piqued your interest。 I received an ARC via NetGalley and I'm volunteering to leave this review for a wonderfully informative book。 。。。more
Mana
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Bestselling author Dan Jones tells the story of how the world we know today formed。 It is a thousand-year emprise of Middle Ages that moves from the ancient Rome， invasions of barbarians in AD 410， from ruin of mighty Rome - to the first contacts between the old and new worlds in the sixteenth century。 From a state of crisis and collapse， the West was rebuilt and came to dominate the entire globe。 Success of the West was established on three pillars: - commerce， - conquest and Christianity。Dan J Bestselling author Dan Jones tells the story of how the world we know today formed。 It is a thousand-year emprise of Middle Ages that moves from the ancient Rome， invasions of barbarians in AD 410， from ruin of mighty Rome - to the first contacts between the old and new worlds in the sixteenth century。 From a state of crisis and collapse， the West was rebuilt and came to dominate the entire globe。 Success of the West was established on three pillars: - commerce， - conquest and Christianity。Dan Jones is a skillful storyteller， the book is written with such a clarity， wit and ease。 It is even fast paced， full of fascinating facts and stories of people， metropolises， such as Constantinople， Venice， Rome， Paris that ruled the world， ideas， progress and growth - everything based on sources， of course。Author provides thorough and well researched historical facts and subsequent analysis of Middle Ages and involves the reader to question and ponders more about those tendencies that put the West world on the throne of the whole world。Epic and eye-opening read！Highly recommended。 。。。more
Gumble's Yard - Golden Reviewer
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Published today 2-9-21This book is a comprehensive， enjoyable and easy to read overview of the Middle Ages for the period AD 410-AD 1527。 It has a strong and deliberate concentration on Western Europe with other parts of the world included only to the extent that they interacted with （and particularly if they impacted on） the West。 It is also a big picture book – concentrating as the title suggests on powers and kingdoms，– this is not the book to read to get an idea of what day to day life was l Published today 2-9-21This book is a comprehensive， enjoyable and easy to read overview of the Middle Ages for the period AD 410-AD 1527。 It has a strong and deliberate concentration on Western Europe with other parts of the world included only to the extent that they interacted with （and particularly if they impacted on） the West。 It is also a big picture book – concentrating as the title suggests on powers and kingdoms，– this is not the book to read to get an idea of what day to day life was like for typical members of society at different points in the Middle Ages but to understand the macro forces which acted to bring about changes in society - the forces extending beyond political power to climate， disease， technology， religion and trade。The book is in four main sections – each of four chapters of typically 40-50 pages each。The first section is AD410-AD750:Imperium。 The fours chapters are – Romans， Barbarians， Byzantines， Arabs。 The first chapter is an overview of Imperial Rome – it successes and its strength almost immediately before its precipitous collapse （illustrated by the Hoxne Hoard and its connection with the collapse of Roman authority in England）。 This and the next chapter then looks at how climate change and associated mass migration （much of it a domino effect from other migrations – the author I think draws heavily here on Peter Heather’s brilliant “The Fall of Rome） undermined the entire basis on which the Empire was maintained。 The resulting “Barbarian” realms in the West， the rise of the new Rome in Byzantium （and its interactions with the West） and the rise of Islam and its impact are then considered in turn。The second section: is AD750 to AD1215: Dominion。 The fours chapters are – Franks， Monks， Knights and Crusaders。 This section is very much a study in human power – both hard power （the emerging Frankish kingdom and their revival of a pseudo-Roman Empire） but also the softer power of religious orders， the way in which the reliance on heavily armoured horse born soldiers （and the expense of supporting them） lead to the importance of Kinghthood and the invention of chivalry， and then the way in which both （together with the interaction with Byzantium and its own problem with its non-Christian neighbours） all interacted to lead to the Crusades。The third section is AD1215 to AD1347: Rebirth。 The fours chapters are - Mongols， Merchants， Scholars and Builders。 The Mongols chapter features that the book calls a dramatic shift in geopolitics （caused by an Eastern Empire with a capital in what is now Bejing – with some fairly clear modern day resonances）。 But the rest of the chapter features some of those whose influences remain to this day – global traders and the financial devices （including banking） they developed around it， the founders of the World’s great Universities and the builders of some of its greatest buildings such as cathedrals and castles。The fourth section is AD 1348 to AD1527: Revolution: The fours chapters are - Survivors， Renewers， Navigators， Protestants。 This book is about the end of the middle ages – starting with the devastation of a global pandemic which unlike our present one caused mass mortality and transformed previously feudal economies not by lockdown but by a tragic demand/supply imbalance。 The book looks at the Renaissance and the search for new worlds， before finishing with the Protestant Reformation which not just restored Christianity but finished the Middle Ages。My thanks to Head of Zeus， Apollo for an ARC via NetGalley 。。。more
Debbie
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A truly epic history of Europe and beyond， spanning the heights of the Roman Republic and the depths of the religious wars following the Reformation。 Although 'Powers and Thrones' clearly has a political element， the narrative goes far beyond that to consider the impact of other forces， man-made and natural， on history。 As such， it is very much an all-encompassing history。As with any book of this size and scope， it can only provide a whistle-stop tour。 Few things are discussed in any depth and m A truly epic history of Europe and beyond， spanning the heights of the Roman Republic and the depths of the religious wars following the Reformation。 Although 'Powers and Thrones' clearly has a political element， the narrative goes far beyond that to consider the impact of other forces， man-made and natural， on history。 As such， it is very much an all-encompassing history。As with any book of this size and scope， it can only provide a whistle-stop tour。 Few things are discussed in any depth and many significant historiographical debates are dismissed with a 'that need not concern us here'。 Yet the endnotes and bibliography are enough to provide a path for anyone wishing to pursue it further。 However， there are some arguments into which Jones does wade， and he does this with a verve and confidence that was lacking from some of his earlier work。 Regardless of the occasional quip about hookers' knickers or some such （and Jones's accessible and informal written style is always one of his selling points）， this is the author at his most mature and convincing。 An excellent read。 。。。more
Jill
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In Powers and Thrones， Dan Jones sets out to provide an overview of the entire period known as the Middle Ages， from the fall of Rome in c。400AD through to Da Vinci， Columbus， et al in the early 1500s。 Over the course of 600 pages， the author provides an informative but whistle stop tour of the Romans， Byzantines， Arabs， Franks， Crusaders， Mongols and more。 There were times， when reading this， when I wished that Dan Jones was a little less ambitious in his scope and ambition – some sections sta In Powers and Thrones， Dan Jones sets out to provide an overview of the entire period known as the Middle Ages， from the fall of Rome in c。400AD through to Da Vinci， Columbus， et al in the early 1500s。 Over the course of 600 pages， the author provides an informative but whistle stop tour of the Romans， Byzantines， Arabs， Franks， Crusaders， Mongols and more。 There were times， when reading this， when I wished that Dan Jones was a little less ambitious in his scope and ambition – some sections started to feel a little like a litany of names， dates and places so I would have enjoyed a little more detail here。 If you like your history to be painted in broad strokes though， you’ll love this book。 Thank you to Netgalley and Head of Zeus， Apollo Publishers for an ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Melisende
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It should come as no surprise that Jones has decided to take on 1000 years of history and condense it into one tome。To be perfectly blunt， I can take or leave Jones as an author - its nothing personal。 I've read his books and find them entertaining enough， but to be honest he is not one of my "go to" authors - I don't go all "fan girl" when I see his books。 Having said that， this is quite a good， well-rounded read， that will appeal to the masses。 It is broken down into four parts， and four sub t It should come as no surprise that Jones has decided to take on 1000 years of history and condense it into one tome。To be perfectly blunt， I can take or leave Jones as an author - its nothing personal。 I've read his books and find them entertaining enough， but to be honest he is not one of my "go to" authors - I don't go all "fan girl" when I see his books。 Having said that， this is quite a good， well-rounded read， that will appeal to the masses。 It is broken down into four parts， and four sub topics， that flow in a linear timeline。 The focus encompasses both Roman Empires （East & West）， Europe and the UK。 Its only when discussing the Arabs and Mongols does Jones veer from a predominantly Euro-centric narrative。The aim here is to entertain and inform， and Jones does this remarkably well; and there is - of course - plenty of notes and references for the avid history buff to go exploring further on their own。I would recommend this to anyone looking for a slightly different take on the history narrative - and for all fans of Jones！Edit: see fuller review @ Melisende's Library wherein I break down the chapters。 。。。more
Beata
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I have read some of Dan Jones's works so was delighted to have received a copy of his latest book。I did not expect to find a book on the millennium between the fall of Rome and the dawn of Renaissance so fascinating despite my respect regarding the Author。 The sheer thought of covering all main events in Europe and Asia that occurred within such a period sounds most challenging， and yet Mr Jones surpassed all my expectations。 The amount of information is more than massive and I do not think I wi I have read some of Dan Jones's works so was delighted to have received a copy of his latest book。I did not expect to find a book on the millennium between the fall of Rome and the dawn of Renaissance so fascinating despite my respect regarding the Author。 The sheer thought of covering all main events in Europe and Asia that occurred within such a period sounds most challenging， and yet Mr Jones surpassed all my expectations。 The amount of information is more than massive and I do not think I will remember everything but I am especially grateful for the panorama of the times in which I take little interest。 The Mongolian theme is terrific！It is not easy to find non-fiction unputdownable， this book proved to be such for me。 。。。more
Dave Wheeler
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Wow this is a whole lot of history its fun and informative and very well researched （ from my prospective as having a keen interest in history but with a lot to learn）。 Lots of history can be told very differently depending on your stand point including your faith， nationality and interests。 So I say this as you may not always like certain takes on history but from as neutral a point of view as possible I feel this is extremely well written。 As factual as possible and a lot more fun than a study Wow this is a whole lot of history its fun and informative and very well researched （ from my prospective as having a keen interest in history but with a lot to learn）。 Lots of history can be told very differently depending on your stand point including your faith， nationality and interests。 So I say this as you may not always like certain takes on history but from as neutral a point of view as possible I feel this is extremely well written。 As factual as possible and a lot more fun than a study book but this would be a great source of information to get a take of each era that is covered。 The collapse of The Roman Empire to the beginning of the Reformation where another Roman Era faced a uncertain future。 I feel that the 2 groups here Catholic and Protestant have far more in common than not but then that's my take on it in a sentence。 Each stage of history has winners and losers each side has a background and I felt this was covered as well as possible， specially over a 1000 years in under 1000 pages that's quite a feat to achieve。 I enjoyed this as I've said and it brought history to life which is what you want if you're interested in any subject and if your interest is history then this is a wonderful book to have。 I felt for me it's a book that you can just read about one era and come back later to look at another time later on。 Its a lot to take in reading from front to back which I did and your right there's far too much information to grasp hold of the whole book。 So I will look back at one time at a time next time I read it （that's a lot of times） I hope you have a lot of fun and learn much from Powers and Thrones I certainly did。 。。。more
Jean-Luc
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A sweeping tapestry of the Middle Ages， a rollicking journey through Medieval civilization， its restlessness， its ambiguities and all the truculent changes that transformed Europe's identity and its destiny over several centuries。Dan Jones takes us once again on a memorable trip through the magnificent and tumultuous ups and downs that transformed the European landscape from the fall of the Roman empire to the first lights of the Renaissance with a bold new analysis。An unforgettable reading exp A sweeping tapestry of the Middle Ages， a rollicking journey through Medieval civilization， its restlessness， its ambiguities and all the truculent changes that transformed Europe's identity and its destiny over several centuries。Dan Jones takes us once again on a memorable trip through the magnificent and tumultuous ups and downs that transformed the European landscape from the fall of the Roman empire to the first lights of the Renaissance with a bold new analysis。An unforgettable reading experience from one of the best historians at work today in English。Highly recommended and to be enjoyed without any moderation。 Bravo！Many thanks to Netgalley and Head of Zeus for this terrific ARC 。。。more
Liviu
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Very readable， entertaining with irony， humor and a panoramic view of the period from the 400's to the 1500's。 Highly recommended Very readable， entertaining with irony， humor and a panoramic view of the period from the 400's to the 1500's。 Highly recommended 。。。more
Sarah - All The Book Blog Names Are Taken
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