A Travel Guide to the Middle Ages

The World Through Medieval Eyes

De: Anthony Bale

Narrado por: Esh Alladi

Europeans of the Middle Ages were the first to use travel guides to orient their wanderings, as they moved through a world punctuated with miraculous wonders and beguiling encounters. In this vivid and alluring history, medievalist Anthony Bale invites listeners on an odyssey across the medieval world.

Journeying alongside scholars, spies, and saints, from Western Europe to the Far East, the Antipodes and the ends of the earth, Bale provides indispensable information on the exchange rate between Bohemian ducats and Venetian groats, medieval cures for seasickness, and how to avoid extortionist tour guides and singing sirens. He takes us from the streets of Rome and tours of the Khan's court in Beijing to Mamluk-controlled Jerusalem.

We also learn of rumored fantastical places, like ones where lambs grow on trees and giant canes grow fruit made of gems. And we are offered a glimpse of what non-European travelers thought of the West on their own travels.

Using previously untranslated contemporaneous documents from a colorful range of travelers, A Travel Guide to the Middle Ages is a witty and unforgettable exploration of how Europeans understood—and often misunderstood—the larger world.

©2023 Anthony Bale (P)2024 Tantor

Amazing scholarship

The Middle Ages were much more varied and exotic than I ever suspected . Even some of the realities read like fantasies . Given travel conditions the voyages recounted are truly epic.

Bit Academic

The information was interesting, but it kept losing my focus as it read a bit academically, rather than for general consumption. Not memorable at all. Overall, I wish I'd have kept the credit.

Totally fun and informative!

Though I’m no medieval scholars, I’ve read many books. Still I encountered new information about daily life and traveling.

Very well written

This book is well written, well read, and pulls you in encouraging you to listen to one chapter after the next. My only complaint is the highly religious Christian emphasis on every single aspect of the book. While other cultures and religions are mentioned the entire book is based through the eyes of a medieval Christian pilgrim and no other viewpoint is offered nor is this mentioned in the description. While a pleasant listen and while this book does offer an interesting view of the medieval world it would have been nice to be warned it is only through Christina eyes that we get to see it.

Wonderful book

I’m so sad i finished it. Bale makes a wonderful story telling and delightful read. Can’t wait for his next book.

Misleading title

It seems that most of the negative from its title. I agree that the title is effectively misleading. “ a travel guide TO the middle ages“ implies that the book is a survey of life during the middle ages, and will be commenting on various topics such as dress, religion, childhood, etc. However, this book focuses completely on the traveler in the middle ages who is visiting holy shrines and Jerusalem. I have absolutely no interest in this topic, but it would be biased of me for me to leave a poor review of thoroughly well researched, simply because of the poor title choice.

Only covers a fraction of the era

Misleading book summary and preface. I am through Ch 7 so far and very disappointed that most of the sources date from late 14th C onwards - what about the hundreds of years of middle ages before then? Narration is very fast, had to slow it down way down.

Interesting Topic, tedious execution

Really tried to like the book… But by the end, I was just finishing it to finish it. I’d long since lost interest in the narrative.