Staff Book and Media Recommendations

Patrick Douglas is a Library Technician at the University of Central Oklahoma.

The Dark Ages

The Dark Ages was more than six hundred years of tragedy and human suffering for an entire continent. In The Dark Ages, The History Channel explores the period in Europe between the Roman Empire and the Renaissance, giving special attention to particular historical figures such as Alaric I, Saint Benedict, Clovis, Justinian I, Charles Martel, and Charlemagne.

The lesson begins with the sack of Rome by the Visigoths in A.D. 410 and the fall of the western half of the Roman Empire. From there it follows the chain of events - the rise of the Byzantine Empire, the Black Plague, the Frankish Kingdoms and the Holy Roman Empire, the Islamic invasions and the Crusades, the Vikings, and the reasons for feudalism, knighthood, and monasteries - to the end of the age and the beginnings of the Renaissance. In the final few minutes the narrative accelerates, skipping over the Norman conquest of Great Britain and the rise of the Italian city-states to just mention the major accomplishments of the eleventh through the thirteenth centuries.

Using experts on the subject to tell the story of the bleakest chapter of European history, The Dark Ages does a wonderful job of making the connections that clarify and simplify a very complex and seemingly disconnected period. Animated maps and reenactments help to illustrate the story and make it enjoyable to view. This is a great film (just 90 minutes) for history buffs or for anyone who has wondered, "How did we get from there to where we are today?"

Reviewed October 2011