National Book Award Non Fiction Winner
A Distant Mirror
by Barbara Tuchman
Summary
A history of the "calamitous" 14th century, using the life of a French nobleman to explore the Black Death, the Hundred Years' War, and the collapse of medieval order.
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Historical Context & Significance
Tuchman wrote the book as a parallel to the 20th century, suggesting that the chaos of the 1300s mirrored the world-shaking trauma of the World Wars.