The Middle Ages: A Graphic History

Eleanor Janega and Neil Max Emmanuel (illustrator)

The Middle Ages: A Graphic History is by Eleanor Janega, a medieval historian who teaches at a number of London universities and blogs at going-medieval.com and Neil Emmanuel, an illustrator who also worked on Time Team, Britain’s longest-running historical TV show. It’s a lovely breeze through a millennium of history, focusing mainly on Europe and the Near East (according to the book, the medieval period in China ended in 960, which means China became ‘modern’ about 600 years before Europe did). It’s a lot of fun and you learn a lot in a couple of hours.