Not only an engrossing read about the distant past, both informative and entertaining, but also a profoundly thought-provoking view of our not-really-so-new' present . . . All medieval history is here, beautifully narrated . . . The vision takes in whole imperial landscapes but also makes room for intimate portraits of key individuals, and even some poems. Wall Street Journal "A lively history . . . (Jones) has managed to touch every major topic. As each piece of the puzzle is placed into position, the modern world gradually comes into view . . . Powers and Thrones provides the reader with a framework for understanding a complicated subject, and it tells the story of an essential era of world history with skill and style. "The New York Times The New York Times bestselling author returns with an epic history of the medieval world a rich and complicated reappraisal of an era whose legacy and lessons we are still living with today. When the once-mighty city of Rome was sacked by barbarians in 410 and lay in ruins, it signaled the end of an era-and the beginning of a thousand years of profound transformation. In a gripping narrative bursting with big names from St Augustine and Attila the Hun to the Prophet Muhammad and Eleanor of Aquitaine Dan Jones charges through the history of the Middle Ages.