Here’s AudioFile’s take on the 22.5 hour (!) audiobook version of The History of the Medieval World:
THE HISTORY OF THE MEDIEVAL WORLD :
From the Conversion of Constantine to the First Crusade
Susan Wise Bauer
Read by John LeeFollowing on her HISTORY OF THE ANCIENT WORLD, Bauer tackles the history of the medieval world, from the fourth century through the First Crusade at the end of the eleventh century. The flowing narrative traces parallel stories through Europe, Asia, and the Americas, artfully weaving them together and highlighting the similarities in the development of each region. John Lee deftly navigates the dense text with his steady, controlled reading, and his clear enunciation and even pace make the somewhat overwhelming scope of the text easier to digest. The narrative style of Bauer’s work transitions well to audio, although the maps and time lines that are sprinkled throughout the written text are sorely missed. The interspersed author’s notes, while necessary, are the only disruption in the flow of this detailed historical account. E.N. © AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine [Published: MAY 2010]