I used this book in an introductory medieval history class. The narrative in offered by this book is straightforward, coherent, and for the most part, an easy read. The chapters have clearly defined themes and chronologies, and the authors do a good job exploring many issues, events, figures, and concepts of the medieval ages.

At times it was difficult to keep track of all the various names, as many medieval figures shared similar names. I felt the authors could have done a better job laying out more distinct biographies of some of the figures.

There were also times when I had to reread parts because I lost interest due to the tendency of the book to devolve into a simple reiteration of events, ie: The church did this, then certain kings responded in this manner, which caused this event. Whether this is the fault of the writers, something endemic to the material, or my own indolence is debatable, but I still feel the book would benefit with some more color/vibrant writing.

Overall, I found it useful in my studies because it offered coherent organization (making content easily accessible), and it was an easy read (for the most part.)

This book is a great overview of medieval Europe. It is packed with information and is a dense read, but worth it.

I am a graduate student who has recently begun teaching first-year undergrads. The Hollister and Bennett book is the main text book for a Medieval Period General course, and the students use it to supplement their core readings. The textbook, a general synthesis of the history of Western Europe, is decent and fairly comprehensive, written and updated by experts in the field. However, it has been a long time since I've read a general textbook, and found the lack of footnote references a bit unnerving. The book does, however, provide lists for further reading at the end of each chapter, but these are very selective.

I am a graduate student who has recently begun teaching first-year undergrads. The Hollister and Bennett book is the main text book for a Medieval Period General course, and the students use it to supplement their core readings. The textbook, a general synthesis of the history of Western Europe, is decent and fairly comprehensive, written and updated by experts in the field. However, it has been a long time since I've read a general textbook, and found the lack of footnote references a bit unnerving. The book does, however, provide lists for further reading at the end of each chapter, but these are very selective.

I bought this to take on a trip around Western Europe. Mr. Hollister has excellent prose. Normally, history books are written in a convoluted style which is indecipherable and dry. Medieval Europe however, is infinitely readable and a great resource. It was a pleasure to read. I will definitely look for more of Mr. Hollister's work and would welcome the recommendation of other works by good history authors.

Professor Hollister managed, again, to convey the thematic importance of major questions in European history in a concise and entertaining fashion. This is one of, if not, the best introductions to medieval European history out there. The only drawback is the price, which is ridiculous. This book ought to be $15 or so. Oh well.