#655
Title: A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous 14th Century
Author: Barbara W. Tuchman
Publisher: BallantineYear: 1978/1996
704 pagesAudiobook
I moved this up in my queue as I worked my way through Martin's A Game of Thrones because I correctly surmised that it would help elucidate some of the beliefs and behaviors on which Martin's characters' actions are based. This was true, and A Distant Mirror was enjoyable in its own right. I found the broader historical chapters more compelling. Though Tuchman's structure relied on following a particular person, this strategy only variably kept my interest. Sometimes it personalized the generalities, while at others it seemed to bog down in details. Still, overall a compelling, readable history with occasional humorous and acerbic comments that kept Tuchman present in the narrative.
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