Crazy old broad of a housewife with no significant academic credentials decides to become a historian, stages a boffo performance. Just goes to show there's no excuse for bad history and boring historiography. Fooey on dry-as-dust history and Hurrah! for Barbara Tuchman.

I read 'A Distant Mirror' and enjoyed every line. Tuchman writes like she loves her work and it makes all the difference in the world. If her thesis (i.e.: The calamitous 14th century looks a lot like the calamitous 20th century) is somewhat understated, at least it is not overemphasized. Tuchman has massive piles of evidence on her side and as a writer she has taste and sense enough to let the weight of that evidence persuade readers for her.

Those who have never read Tuchman should start with 'A Distant Mirror.' This is one for the ages. It is what most folks will remember her having written. Solomon sez: "This is great history, people. If you haven't yet read it, do so soon." ( )

I must admit I struggled with this one. The main character failed as a means of accessing the times. I will have to read this again. ( )

Barbara W. Tuchman tells the story of Europe in the 14th century through the figure of Enguerrand VII, Sire de Coucy, a minor French baron who had the good luck to become the son-in-law of the King of England and one of the foremost diplomatic and military figures of his time.

We follow a century when nothing seemed to go right through the Black Death, the first half of the 100 Years War, other wars, oppression, despair and revolt of the lower classes, manoeuvres of the upper class for power and wealth, church schism, and a failed crusade against the invading Turks in Eastern Europe. The follies chivalry led to and how little its ideals were actually put into practice are exposed for all to see.

Not quite the tour de force I remember from when I read it nearly 30 years ago, but still fascinating. ( )

The same historian who wrote an entire book - The Guns of August - about just one month in the First World War and found in it a microcosm of the war in its entirety goes an entirely different route in this book, taking on an entire century of an entire continent. Not just any century, but a pretty rotten one. The Fourteenth Century in Europe is marred by the Hundred Years War, Papal Schism, climate change (the Little Ice Age), pillaging brigands, and if that wasn't bad enough - the deadly pestilence.

With so much ground to cover this book delightfully veers off on numerous topics, kind of a cluttered attic of medieval facts. Yet, Tuchman still manages to draw out one clear focal narrative and that is that the calamities of the 14th century sowed the seeds of the modern world. Corruption in the church - from the warring popes down to local parish priests known for sleeping around and gambling during mass - lead to Reformation and the eventual downfall of Christendom. 100 years of warfare lead to increasing national identity for France and England that broke down feudal loyalties. Peasant revolts eerily foreshadow the French Revolution. Death and disease destroyed ideas of hierarchy and order, whether from God or from wealth.

Tuchman centers the narrative on the life of French nobleman Enguerrand de Coucy, a 14th century Forrest Gump who happened to be at numerous pivotal events and had his life well-documented. Also appearing in A Distant Mirror are John Wycliffe, Catherine of Siena, Geert Groote, and Charles VI whose monarchy would be marred by bouts of madness. Fascinating events depicted include Christian movements like the Bretheren of the Common Life and Bretheren of the Free Spirit, The War of the Eight Saints, The Bals de Ardents, and the Battle of Nicopolis.

I've been meaning to read this book for over 20 years but was always intimidated by its length and the scary army of skeletons on the cover. I'm glad that I finally plugged into an audio book adaptation and listened over a period of a couple of weeks. Tuchman as always a crisp, detailed and entertaining writer (albeit a sometimes overly opinionated one). This one will be worth reading again one day. I find the whole period of time fascinating. ( )

Barbara Tuchman's wonderful writing style makes this a delightful book to read. She uses an unusual device to explain the 14th century in Europe by combining a personal biography of a Frenchman, Enguerrand de Coucy VII with discrete essay chapters on The Plague, Children in medieval times, English political and military history, and Chivalry.

I had read the Gunst of August many years ago an immediately became a fan, but am only now enjoying the leisure to read more of this great author's works, which bring history so well to the layman. ( )