My expectations and the book's content did not align. My interest was more in a chronological overview of the period with political divisions, important peoples, and information on the lives of everyday persons. While the book began to address some of the latter toward the book's conclusion, the text mainly looked at broad themes from the period rather than providing the information I wanted to acquaint myself before moving to other books dealing with specific aspects. Others may enjoy it more than I did, but I was disappointed. ( )