This past year, we have been participating to an homeschool coop with other homeschooling families. We had a blast exploring specific subjects during the year. We have decided to continue next year and the first subject of studies that we will explore for three weeks as part of history will be the Medieval times. Fortunately, this summer there is an educational day on things from that period of time in a town near our place. But to deepen our learning experience, I approached DK Canada and asked if I could review the three Eyewitness book linked to the era of knights, damsels, castles and medieval life. Each of these DK Eyewitness Books contains a Clip-Art CD and posters.
Let’s explore the three titles I have received: Medieval Life, Knight, and Castle.
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About the book
The most trusted nonfiction series on the market, Eyewitness Books provide an in depth, comprehensive look at their subjects with a unique integration of words and pictures. *Now reissued with a CD and wall chart!
Eyewitness: Medieval Life gives the reader an in-depth look at life from the end of the Dark Ages to the Renaissance in the 15th century, in both the town and the country, and for the peasants as well as the aristocracy. Featuring artifacts, costumes, furniture, and historical illustrations, Medieval Life is a unique and compelling introduction to the people and culture of the Middle Ages.
My Thoughts
This specific title will allow you to discover medieval Europe from life in a country manor to the streets of a growing town. The book covers multiple subjects like the Middles Ages, medieval society, a peasant’s life, tied to the soil, running a manor, a medieval home, from kitchen to table, medieval women, great barons, royal court, medieval soldier, the church, building a cathedral, art of decoration, holy orders, life in a monastery, the written word, saints and pilgrims, the Islamic world, trade and commerce, life in the town, the guild masters, the stonemasons, fairs and feast days, medieval music, plays and parades, death and disease, the birth of new age, and more.
Packed with information and stunning pictures, the book will inform you on all you need to know about the life during the medieval times. A couple of years ago, we had the privilege to attend Medieval Times in Toronto as part of an educational day. And through the pages of this book that I am reviewing today, I can recall the information that we received on that special lunch we had at a popular place to visit in Toronto.
As I am writing this – looking at the picture of the kids and I sitting at the table at Medieval Times, the book is open to the page of setting of the table during the Medieval era. It’s interesting to see that the banquet was similar to that lunch we had a couple of years ago and that the setting at Medieval Times respected the setting on the Middle Ages table (though with plastic cups and dishes made in China).
This specific book – Medieval Life – is essentially a great way to discover life during the Middle Ages and how people would live and work. If there was one book that you would like to discover with your kids about the Middle Ages, the eyewitness book on Medieval Life is the book you would like to get. It will inform your on many things from the instruments played to the arts and crafts of that time. It is a great reference to own if you are interested in history – particularly the era of Middle Ages.
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About the book
Some of the most popular selections from the formidable Eyewitness backlist are available with a clip-art CD included.
- Includes CD with clip-art and wall chart
- Includes spectacular, detailed full-color photographs and illustrations
- 72-page format includes 8 bonus pages full of amazing facts
My Thoughts
While studying the Middle Ages, you can’t do that without learning more about knights and their chivalry. So obviously, the Eyewitness series has a book specifically dedicated to knighthood. You will learn everything that you wanted to know about the life as a knight with information about the first knights, the Normans, making a knight, iron everywhere, fashion in steel, the armor, the arms, on horseback, the castle, the castle at war, siege warfare, arming for the fight, the enemy, into battle, the castle at peace, the lord of the manor, the lady of the manor, the ideal of chivalry, the tournament, the joust, foot combat, heraldry, hunting and hawking, faith and pilgrimage, the crusades, Knights of Christ, Knights of the Rising Sun, the professionals, the decline of chivalry and much more.
Needless to say that while at Medieval Times in Toronto, we saw knights and a tournament during our lunch session. It was very interesting to see them jousting against each other.
The book is packed with information that will deepen your knowledge on knights. As you can see on the pages below you will have plenty of photos and illustrations to help you visualize the life of a knight during the Middle Ages. A timeline as well as a glossary complete the book.
Knowing that knights were very active during the Middles Ages, you can’t avoid studying about them when learning about the Medieval era of our history.
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About the book
The most trusted nonfiction series on the market, Eyewitness Books provide an in-depth, comprehensive look at their subjects with a unique integration of words and pictures.
DK’s classic look at the history and structure of castles, now reissued with a CD and wall chart!
My Thoughts
Through the pages of this specific Eyewitness book you will discover the mysteries of the medieval castle and what life was like for those living within its walls. In this book, you will discover the exciting world of the medieval castle, from the dramatic methods used to defend and attack castles to what life was really like for the people living inside its mighty battlements. More specifically you will learn about what is a castle, what the first castles looked liked, the great tower, concentric castles, castles on the Loire, castles in Germany, the chapel, laying a siege, men and missiles, tricks of defense, the garrison, the castle as prison, crusader castles, castles in Japan, the great hall, the kitchen, at the table, the entertainers, women and children, the lord, fabrics and textiles, in the fields, animals in the castle, the castle builders, the woodworkers, metalwork, castles in decline and much more.
The pages are packed with photographs and illustrations about castles and life in a castle. You will witness how people dressed during the Middle Ages, how the food was prepared, how the builders would think of defending the castle when building it and how castles differ from one country to another.
Castles were predominant during the Middle Ages and that’s why so many exists still today in Europe. These structures were part of life during the Middle Ages and I think it is also essential to the study of history during the Medieval era to look at how castles were essentials for cities. This book gives a pretty good idea of life in a castle for kids who are studying the Middle Ages.
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These three eyewitness books from DK are available at your favourite bookstore, even amazon.ca and amazon.com.
Disclaimer: Thanks to DK Canada for sending me the above mentioned titles for review purposes. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.
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