If my history tutors were half as motivated and projected the enthusiasm of Christopher M Bellitto, my love of the subject would have known no bounds. This man is master of holding one's attention through a series of mini lectures be conveying his love of the subject. A MUST read for anyone with even the slightest interest in Medieval history. Get this wonderful presentation.

This audiobook consists of lectures that are easy to follow, thanks to the author's compelling delivery style. That said, the author makes a few inaccuracies and unjustified claims. I will only list a few: • The author passively claims that life as a Christian under Muslim rule was much better than a Jew or Muslim under Christian rule. He offers no justification for this claim, and it's apparent that his information on Christian and Muslim history in the Middle East is lacking compared to his knowledge about European history. • He completely ignores the role that Syriac Christians and Jewish translators in the Middle East played in the translation movement. I recommend reading "How Greek Science Passed to the Arabs" to get a much more accurate picture of how Greek knowledge was transmitted to the Latin West. • His description of how early Islam spread and Islamic doctrines such as Jihad contradicts the historical records and Islam's best scholars living and dead. I recommend reading from someone who specializes in Jihad history and Islamic doctrine to get an objective view unlike the whitewashed image of Islam portrayed in this book. Overall, this is a good place to start if you're interested in learning about life in the Middle Ages. Yet, it fails to present an objective history of the Middle East and Islam.

Easy listening, informative in lecture topics format.

although taught and explained very well.. was very dry and skipped over a lot. I understand the angle to which the narrator was explain everything over a vast 1000 years but would have liked more in depth of certain parts. good learning though!

It was a VIP selection. Interesting and engaging overview of the Middle Ages.

A great lecture series and exactly what I hoped for. Although the author’s comparisons to American life and history are a little far-fetched, especially for non-American listeners.

Fabulous narration and clear easy to understand delivery. Very enjoyable way to understand the Middle Ages from a concise overview.

Interesting and made more so by the speaker’s passion for his subject.

The material in this book is spot on and I have no complaints at all about the book of the narrator who is also the author.