This is an interesting look at the methods of travel and perceptions of the world that were common among people in the middle ages. The author uses excerpts from documents and maps of the time to help the reader place themselves in the time period.

Places are a bit dry but it's a short enough read that it stays interesting.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. I purchased for my library and will share.

The Middle Ages is one of my favorite periods of history to study. This was an entertaining read with lots of information! This book contains information about travelers in the Middle Ages, using information taken from primary sources to give the reader insight. Overall, I think this was an interesting perspective on the topic of life in the middle ages! Every chapter provided a different experience-- some chapters I enjoyed more than others, but I think every reader will have various experiences!

A really good book about what was it like to travel in the Middle Ages. The author, journeying alongside scholars, spies and saints, walks the reader from northern Europe to Venice, Rome, Constantinople and Egypt. From Egypt to Jerusalem and, from there, eastwards to the Persian Gulf, India, China, and back.

A look into the medieval world that styles itself in the form of a travel guide, based on the famous (fictional) travelogue of Sir John Mandeville.

I wish Bale had leaned even more into the style. I feel like his tone was good for making it like a travel guide, but the organization of material wasn’t clear enough to be more traditional history or on the opposite side. Maybe breaking up each place into subsections would’ve been beneficial.

This is a great overview to the scope of travel in the Middle Ages and the day to day planning and expense that went into the trips. I especially appreciate accounts included from Muslim areas, the Indian subcontinent, ancient China, and Oceania. I was personally familiar with many of the stories that the evidence comes from, but their inclusion here specifically through the lens of travel makes this a great addition to a course on the Middle Ages in general, preModern World History, and concepts of the world on the brink of Columbus's voyage.

A Travel Guide to the Middle Ages wasn't quite what I expected. This doesn't mean it was a bad book by any means. The book is a very interesting description of travel during the Middle Ages, particularly concerned with Italy and The Holy Land. The sources are actual medieval travelers. Their journals and letters give insight into just what traveling conditions were like, and what the sights, sounds, smells of various ports of call and cities were like. Getting that point of view direct from the horse's mouth, so to speak, is very interesting for someone who enjoys learning all aspects of the medieval time period, such as myself.

I particularly enjoyed the chapters devoted to travel to the Holy Land, the description of the various stops on the way to Jerusalem, and what pilgrims would go to see and do once they reached the holy city. I was a bit less impressed by the chapters on Mongolian and Chinese travels, as well as Africa and the so-called "edge of the world". These chapters felt a bit shoe-horned in and less thoroughly thought out than the previous chapters on Italian and Middle Eastern travels. It felt to me like the author was really passionate about those chapters, and then got told by his publisher that the book needed to be longer.

That said, I still feel this was an enjoyable and interesting book on a subject that hasn't really been delved into before. I should also mention the cover and the various illustrations that dot the book are very beautiful, and do add to the great presentation of the book overall. I'd recommend buying a physical copy if possible for the full effect. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4. Thank you to Netgalley and W.W. Norton and Company for the free advanced reader copy. This is a voluntary review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

This was a very interesting non-fiction book! My main criticism is that it was very episodic, so each chapter didn't really feel like it was giving me a cohesive theme to focus on. With that said, that would make it easier to pick up for one chapter at a time!

I’ve found this book highly informative and entertaining. I love to read about the Middle Ages and this books is an account of not only the concept of traveling during Medieval times but also about beliefs and historical events that marked and shaped the mind of medieval people, and how the interpretation of those events paved the way for the emergence of the Renaissance and the Enlightenment. For centuries, religious fervor was the main driving force behind people decisions to abandon comfort to travel to places of veneration. After that, the commercial routes were developed between the western world and the far East, and a whole new world of exploration became possible. In this book, and that’s my favorite thing about it, we can read first hand accounts of this explorations, and the way this travelers faced the hazards and challenges of being a foreigner in this unexplored lands.
Great research, beautifully written. Highly recommend it!

In “A Travel Guide to the Middle Ages,” Anthony Bale explores medieval Europe through the eyes of those who travelled and wrote about their journeys. The book is meticulously researched, providing a wealth of historical context and vivid descriptions that transport you back in time. Bale’s engaging narrative style makes the journey enjoyable, weaving together anecdotes, maps, and practical advice for travellers.

What truly sets this guide apart are the intriguing tidbits and minute details about travelling -- from sea voyages to bustling market towns, readers gain insight into the challenges and wonders faced by medieval travellers. Bale’s passion for the subject shines through, making this an engaging read for history enthusiasts and for those who've ever wondered what life in medieval times was really like -- gross smells and all.

This is a painstakingly researched, richly detailed,, and extremely entertaining exploration of travel during the middle ages, taken from primary source accounts from pilgrims, merchants, diplomats, and explorers. It's full of immersive period detail as it outlines the realities and practical considerations of undertaking a medieval journey (packing, currency, transport, accommodations, food, language barriers, customs, etc) as well as the fantastical fabrications of mythical creatures, people, and places that imbued many contemporary travel guides with more fiction than fact - and of course, the baggage of the travelers' own beliefs, prejudices, and expectations that they carry with them on their journey. From England through Europe to Egypt and the Holy Land, through Iran, Iraq, and Turkey, to India and China, this book follows the paths of several real travelers from the 12th - 15th centuries as they embark upon their various journeys, set amidst a wealth of historical context, and brings to life their experiences and their thoughts and impressions. It explores the reasons why many medieval Europeans left the safety of home to explore the wider world, the means of transport that were available to them, contingencies which must be prepared for, and the nature of hospitality and accommodations along the way. This book is bursting with colorful details and travel advice of the period which make it a lively and often amusing read.

I especially enjoyed the rules of tavern etiquette:

"The basic rules of dining are as follows:
Don’t scratch your head or back as if you’ve got fleas.
Don’t be sullen, blink too much or have watery eyes.
Don’t sniff, or pick your nose, or let it run, or blow it too loudly.
Don’t twist your neck like a jackdaw.
Don’t put your hands down your stockings or fiddle with your codpiece, or scratch, or shrug, or rub your hands.
Don’t pick your ears, retch, laugh too loudly or spit too far.
Speak quietly, don’t tell lies or talk drivel, don’t spray spittle, gape or pout.
Don’t lick the dish.
Don’t cough, hiccup or belch, stamp your feet or straddle your legs.
Don’t pick or gnash your teeth, and don’t puff bad breath over your betters.
Always beware of ‘blasting your rear guns’ (that is, farting)."

This is an engaging and informative book that will appeal to history buffs and casual readers alike. I had a good time with this book and I recommend it even if you are not a big non-fiction reader.

I'm thankful to the author, the publisher, and to Netgalley for providing me with a free advance reader copy of the book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

An interesting read giving different perspectives on the Middle Ages. It is kind of incredible how far some people were able to travel back then.

Thank you Netgalley and W. W. Norton & Company for access to this arc.


This looked interesting and for the most part it was. After an opening chapter on what travel means (just keep going through this), Bale dives into various historical accounts of (mainly) Europeans venturing far from home for various reasons though the last chapter covers a few journeys made to Europe, Africa, and the Arabian peninsula by people traveling westward from China and Mongolia.

The most time is spent on religious pilgrimages to Rome, Jerusalem, Egypt, and other parts of the Middle East by European Christians. It’s interesting but does go on a bit. Honestly, the conditions sounded as horrendous as the pilgrims probably found them to be. Traveling simply for wanderlust or pleasure didn’t appear to be that popular. Trade was another major incentive to leave home and several merchants and traders left accounts of what they went through trying to buy and sell or set up trade hubs and links in foreign lands.

The book jumps back and forth from various sources to cover different aspects of a typical journey that might have been made rather than sticking with one person’s narrative for a whole trip. Some travelers were enthusiastic while others were grimly determined and also expecting things to be ghastly. For pilgrims, the suffering along the way seemed to enhance the payoff of the trip. Some traders loved the chance to see new places while others caught cities or rulers having a bad day. One Chinese traveler was awestruck by Hormuz while a Mongolian Christian enjoyed sitting in a beautiful garden in Naples overlooking a sea battle.

Bale doesn’t shy away from the fact that – just like today – people had their prejudices and preconceptions. Some of these are racist. Some people are great to travel with while others are grumps. What got written about depended on what a person thought was important rather than what we might love to read about today.

Several fun tidbits of information are included such as an exchange rate so you know how far your plapparts will take you (also change money in Bruges where there’s a bank), don’t forget a staff (support and beating off bandits) and a bag, where to find a licensed guide in Venice who won’t cheat you while booking your travel on to the Holy Land, some travel costs in Egypt and the Holy Land (just accept that you’re going to be stiffed for money all along the way), that the locals who aren’t making money off of you will probably be annoyed by you (jeering and stone throwing are probable), some handy phrases translated into Greek, Albanian, Turkish, and Arabic, medical advice for those traveling overseas (some of which is … not bad), India has both manticores and unicorns, and when traveling from Tana to Khanbaliq (Beijing) don’t be chintzy when hiring a dragoman – splash out and hire a good one,.

The little snapshots of things I hadn’t expected – life in a caravanserai (like a modern travel pit stop); that people from all over the world had traveled much farther into distant lands than I expected; that an Italian saw and saved two Tartars in bondage in Italy, one of whom he’d met before on his travels – were what made the book for me. It ends with sources, references, and further reading. When it’s all said and done, it appears that travelers and traveling experiences haven’t changed all that much over the centuries. B

Bit of a disappointment. I expected from the title that this would be more in the vein of Ian Mortimer’s “Time Travellers Guides”. It is, however, more of a history of travel and travellers in the Medieval era. Sometimes interesting, sometimes plodding. The audiobook is a MUCH better format for enjoying the book than the print.

A Travel Guide to the Middle Ages takes on a lot. It explores what travel was like for those living in the Middle Ages, details contemporary understandings of the world and the people and places in it, and recounts the travels of several specific figures of those times. It covers a lot of ground, and you will find a lot of interesting details throughout the journey.

I would say this book is best suited for readers who love to get into the weeds of what it was like in specific historical eras and relish the particular details. I loved learning which specific charms were used for safe travel, what made for the perfect walking stick, what to wear and pack, the currency exchange rates, how to avoid the bad tour guides in Venice, pilgrimage badges, and what constituted good manners in a tavern, for instance. That doesn’t even scratch the surface of what kinds of details you will find in this book, and I definitely learned a lot.

While I enjoyed nerding out about the details and hearing depictions of the destinations, I wasn’t as intrigued by the recounting of specific travelers. I understand these stories assist in demonstrating certain points (e.g. the motivations for travel), but I kind of wish the focus was narrowed to just what it was like to travel during that time and what the world/specific places looked like at the time. I probably would have preferred a book formatted around specific aspects or considerations when traveling during the Middle Ages, and less around specific destinations and the travelers that went there. I think it is important to note that this book is not formatted like a coffee table book nor a traditional travel guide.

Nonetheless, I still enjoyed this read. In addition to learning so many new details, it was also interesting to contemplate the ways in which medieval travel does and does not resemble travel as we know it.

*Thank you to NetGalley and W. W. Norton & Company for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!*

Thank you to Netgalley for a digital ARC of this book that is being published on April 23rd

When I first saw this title, I thought it would be about modes of transportation and the ways of travel in the middle ages and while you get that, it's so much more.

The author does a fantastic job of transporting you to the middle ages and telling these stories from actual diaries of people, informing you of their reasons for travelling, who was able to travel, where they travelled and their purpose of travel.

Some of the chapters I found much more interesting than others, but each reader is going to have a different experience than the last. It was quite the journey and I'm really glad I read this book. I definitely learned a lot and it brought up some interesting conversation around the dinner table.

The description of this book as a "travel guide" made me hope that the format would be a bit different. Maybe set up like a travel guide, or perhaps if it was going to be a traditional book the "whimsical" title would mean it was more along the lines of narrative nonfiction and would be an easy flowing read. It was not. But the information was really interesting if a bit rambling at times.

I wasn't aware that travel was quite so common in the Middle Ages. It was interesting to see what a journey might have looked like at the time.

I was expecting this to be a colorful exploration of travel in the Middle Ages. I found it to be too bogged down in tedious details to hold my interest. DNF.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

This book is a nonfiction book about the Middle Ages and the people that lived there and how they would’ve traveled.

This was an interesting and engaging nonfiction book. The writing was accessible and interesting. This is not my normal read but I enjoyed it! I think a lot of people will find this one interesting!

Thanks so much to netgalley and WW Norton company for the arc of this one in exchange for an honest review!

A Travel Guide to the Middle Ages was something I thought I'd at least enjoy. Advertised as an "odyssey across the medieval world, recounting the advice that circulated among those venturing to the road for pilgrimage," we instead got a dry recounting of individual travellers' lives. Let me explain:

The book is split into roughly thirteen chapters, each exploring a specific place a European traveller might choose to go. The first half focuses almost exclusively on pilgrimage-specific sites and experiences, with the second half opening up to the rest of Africa and Central and Eastern Asia. Each section is buoyed by a person in history's experience of their travels, usually those who left a written account of it.

The first half focuses exclusively on Pilgrimage sites. This is not my shindig, but it might be yours. It is potentially a worthwhile place to learn the context of travel for medieval people during this period, but a lot of the potential joy from it was sucked clean dry from the issues I will discuss later. I found the book more bearable in the second half: finally, we go to places fewer Europeans had seen and encounter interesting aspects of cultural mixing we often forget about in the period.

So, back to the issues. Beyond the writing being pretty mediocre, the book just felt like a report. This is not a "guide" for contemporary people "travelling" to the Middle Ages but a quick look at what Medieval travellers would have expected on their journeys and what some of them said about it. That could be fine, except that each chapter contains a lot of tangential information about the travellers that we "see through," with simply far, far too many places introduced that explaining and contextualizing them appropriately would be a waste of time. Because of this, a lot of the information is surface-level, and much is discussed without a steady sense of why. As mentioned earlier, the little that we are informed of for our "trip" is strictly information that would be known to individuals in the Medieval period. While perhaps a bit entertaining for some, adding a short list of old wives' tales at the end of each chapter felt insulting when each chapter barely gave me enough information to grasp what the hell was actually going on. Bale does not really have a thesis with this work—sure he waxes poetically about travel in the introduction and coda—but regurgitating past traveller's writings and passing it as "guide" is incredibly disingenuous.

I don't know why this didn't work for me. Maybe I didn't read the blurb well enough and prepare myself for what I was getting into. I'm eager to see other's reviews as the book gets published.

TLDR: This is a history of medieval European travellers disguised as a guidebook. Skip the first half. Watch <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-aSdFrPnlRg">this video</a> instead.

An excellent exploration of the medieval world that puts one in the mindset of medieval travelers. It starts in England heads east all the way to China with a brief epilogue about homecoming. Along the way, readers learn about various parts of medieval cultures and politics, and hopefully will also put to rest the old idea that most people never went anywhere during the middle ages.