Another beautifully published book from the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, in support of an exhibition. The central focus is the representation made over the centuries of the European Middle Ages. The book starts from the observation that the fascination for the European Middle Ages is still very much alive. This is evidenced by the success of the Game of Throne series (and its recently launched prequel), as well as numerous historical films (mostly about the King Arthur stories). This book goes into detail about that, and also shows how ‘medieval mania’ has even permeated Japanese manga’s and TikTok movies.
It also demonstrates well how distortion and appropriation are inevitably involved in all those performances: a certain image of the Middle Ages actually says something about the time in which that representation was created. This adaptation and distortion already started in the Middle Ages themselves, when monks and other writers produced stories and illustrators presented a specific image in manuscripts, for example of a knight's tournament. According to the authors, it is mainly the stories and visual representations from the 14th and 15th centuries – so rather late – that came to determine our later image of the Middle Ages. Fascinating, especially because that information is extensively illustrated in this book.
Another merit is that the authors point to the need for a more inclusive approach and representation of the Middle Ages. There is nothing wrong with that, on the contrary: there is certainly a need for a correction to the inevitably colored image that was given in the Middle Ages themselves, but also afterwards: too masculine, too white, too elitist, too European, etc. That correction has been going on for some time now: in recent decades, historical studies have been constantly published that nuance the classic picture of the homogeneous Christian Europe in the Middle Ages, and that point to the diversity of beliefs, values and norms, behavior, but also to the forms of discrimination (racial , gender, etc.) that have so far been underexposed. It is a good thing that attention is being paid to this.
But then the authors apparently find it necessary to go one step further. They even make a direct plea not to take historical reality too serious and to approach the past 'audience-driven', i.e. to bend to the values and norms of the present time. Look, call me old-fashioned, but I do have a problem with that. Hence the slightly lower rating. More on this in my History-account on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5035245419.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC ( )

The Fantasy of the Middle Ages by Larisa Grollemond and Bryan C Keene is a lavishly illustrated and very informative book.

This beautiful book looks at the period often called the Middle Ages and how it has been used and portrayed through history. This juxtaposition of what we now know of the period with the often inaccurate representations of it (sometimes for blatantly racist use) makes for fascinating reading. The authors also make a point of taking a more, though not comprehensive, global view of both the period and the later reimaginings.

Whether a reader is primarily interested in the pictures and artwork, the medieval history, or the popular culture history she will come away with a new appreciation for what really was as well as the creative ways in which ideas have morphed and come down to us in our present time.

Highly recommended for those interested in history as well as those interested in simply having a stunning book to display on their coffee table. It will certainly invite comments and conversation at your next get together.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley. ( )