The Bright Ages: A New History of Medieval Europe

 We've moved away from the traditional depiction of the early Middle Ages as a time of ignorance and brutality labeled the Dark Ages. Matthew Gabriele and David M. Perry's book gives an overview of how wrong the earlier interpretation was. The fall of the Roman Empire led to communication breakdowns but not to the loss of knowledge which continued to flourish all around the former Empire (just without the sort of coordination that previously existed). Cities like Ravenna were crossroads with polyglot and tolerant cultures and amazing works of art. Further north and west, the Vikings were nothing like their current image but were an adaptable group - conquering, farming, fishing, or acting as mercenaries according to what was called for, and as fastidious as was possible before indoor plumbing. The authors also show how the Islamic empire, which stretched into parts of Europe, continued to advance learning and was known even before the Crusades. The Bright Ages is a good primer on the era, well written and accessible.