A Distant Mirror

Barbara Tuchman’s A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous 14th Century is a vivid portrayal of a nasty century of events. The century’s calamities include the Hundred Years War, the Black Plague, the papal schism, pillaging mercenaries, and popular revolts. Tuchman focuses on France and French involvement in the surrounding area.

The book often went into too much detail, such as the ten-page description of the pageantry associated with the Holy Roman Emperor’s visit to Paris in 1387-8. Sometimes I enjoyed the rich images Tuchman conjures up, while at other times it became monotonous. I would have preferred a less detailed account.

The leadership and the whole approach of chivalry were amazingly dysfunctional. The aristocracy lived in incredible opulence while a bulk of the population struggled to get by. The various powers launched a series of ill-conceived and pointless wars, in which the knights were more concerned with glory than in actually achieving their objectives. And the Church was just as flawed as the secular institutions.

I had mixed feelings about A Distant Mirror. Tuchman captures what it was like to live in the chaos of the late Middle Ages, along with vibrant characterizations of the major figures of the time. However, the various campaigns, events, and personages were repetitive, and I had to push myself to complete the book.