Title: May the plague take it!
Product review: The author obviously knows his subject, and the book contains many fascinating tidbits. But the writing style and editing is so poor that much of the book's value is lost in the jumble. The first several chapters read like college course lecture notes strung together. The last several chapters include repetitions which should have been edited out. The efforts to explain family relationships and inheritances are convoluted and could have been stated more clearly with a little effort. Some of the claims Cantor makes about the results of the plague are far-fetched, and his supporting evidence does not bear them out. He also makes some very broad generalizations, such as claiming that nobility in the 14th century never thought deeply even though they read philosophical works and supported the arts. Surely there were a few thoughtful nobles! In all, a disappointment.
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