The Riddle and the Knight: In Search of Sir John Mandeville

Dates Covered: 1290 - 1370
ISBN: 0374249970
HH Rating:

Our Take

Giles Milton, one of our best popular history writers, makes not only a little bit of history come alive in The Riddle and the Knight, he makes the study of history come to life. Sir John Mandeville, an English knight, travelled for 34 years in the fourteenth century, made stops all over the Holy Land, said hi to some folks in Asia, and suggested that circumnavigation of the globe should be possible. Later pooh-poohed as an entirely fictional account (the stories of man-animal creatures didn't help), Mandeville's writings inspire the author to follow in his footsteps. What he finds is an eloquent exploration of the meaning of religion in the middle ages, as well as a fascinating glimpse at how interesting it can be to critically examine historical writings. Don't pass this one by.

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