The Third Horseman: Climate Change and the Great Famine of the 14th Century by William Rosen

Final Rating: 3.9/5

A puddle skipping journey into the 14th century that still regales and educates

  Not exactly an easy overview of late 13th to early 14th-century history and survey of weather conditions but one book that is sure to skip eventually into an interest of the reader’s. In truth, I was hoping for more of a complete feeling work with organized leaps in topics that wouldn’t lose or confuse (I had heard fantastic things about this book). Still The Third Horseman: Climate Change and the Great Famine of the 14th Century certainly was an enthusiastic venture to shape the whirling descriptions and connect the Medieval Warm Period with the ever drastically changing population, geography, and complex politics leading up to the devastating roiling storm of conflicts of 14th-century England, Scotland, France and early Germany. Perhaps I misunderstood the original mini summary thinking this non-fiction title more centered on examining historic weather and famine but like Barbara Tuchman’s A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous 14th Century it has rightly found a proper place on my shelf of late 13th to 14th-century trivia especially dedicated to learning more about the charismatic names of known legends and favorite historical novels. It may have had its own lethargic and frantic passages but is definitely a title worth the time to calm the mind and sit down with on a winter day.

*I would like to thank NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Viking for the opportunity to read and enjoy The Third Horseman: Climate Change and the Great Famine of the 14th Century