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It's a Feudal, Feudal World by Stephen Shapiro Book Review

It's a Feudal, Feudal World: A Different Medieval History by Stephen Shapiro
Illustrated by Ross Kinnaird
Publisher:Annick Press
Release Date: August 1, 2013

A child's introduction to medieval times, this a fun way to explore history with tons of infographics and plenty of facts. Each double-spread includes various information from Byzantine Business to Knights, The Silk Road to the Crusades. This book provides a nice overview of life in the middle ages, simplified for young readers. This is by no means a comprehensive look at this time period, it is a nice start and would be a great addition to a library or classroom.

My only criticism is that the over-simplification makes some facts almost feel false. The section regarding women during the middle-ages focuses on some of the more notable women of the time period, but avoids the fact that most women of that time were rarely allowed to do exceptional things no matter how smart or brave they were. I was also a little confused by the final info graphic as it applies to society today, but again I may just be confused because of the over-simplification that is necessary for the targeted demographic.

On the whole, a great historical introduction to a time period that was anything but simple.

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