Great Minds of the Medieval World by Dorsey ArmstrongMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
A wide-ranging, overview of key thinkers of the medieval period. Armstrong's lectures cover thinkers from Augustine up through figures like Petrarch, Medici, and Mallory. She covers Christian, Jewish, and Islamic thinkers; and also includes three female thinkers. The focus is mostly philosophers and theologians, but there are poets, writers, political figures, and she closes with William Caxton, the first English printer.
All in all, a useful introduction and overview of the key ideas and thinkers ranging over more than 1000 years. This is intellectual history, so there is not much in the way of in-depth discussions of the arguments and explications of the ideas. Armstrong is providing the intellectual and historical context for these thinkers and summary of their ideas and influence.
Armstrong's delivery is clear, enjoyable, and interesting.
View all my reviews
