Lev Grossman's 6 favorite books that explore the Middle Ages
The author recommends works by Dan Jones, T.H. White, and more

- 'Powers and Thrones: A New History of the Middle Ages' by Dan Jones (2021)
- 'A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous 14th Century' by Barbara Tuchman (1978)
- 'Nicked' by M.T. Anderson (2024)
- 'The House of Wisdom: How the Arabs Transformed Western Civilization' by Jonathan Lyons (2009)
- 'The Once and Future King' by T.H. White (1958)
- 'Sir Gawain and the Green Knight' (1300s)
When you make a purchase using links on our site, The Week may earn a commission. All reviews are written independently by our editorial team.
Lev Grossman's new novel, "The Bright Sword," follows a young knight who arrives in Camelot just after the fall of King Arthur. Below, the author of the best-selling "Magicians" trilogy recommends six great books about medieval times.
'Powers and Thrones: A New History of the Middle Ages' by Dan Jones (2021)
Jones begins his kaleidoscopic account with the sack of Rome in 410 and never slows down. A tireless, virtuosic storyteller, he's constantly in search of evocative details and fresh themes — climate change, the interconnectedness of East and West — to illuminate the darkness. Buy it here.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
'A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous 14th Century' by Barbara Tuchman (1978)
There has been much scholarly ink under the bridge since Tuchman wrote this account of Europe at its most wondrous and tormented, but somehow no one since has conjured the mood and the contradictions of that moment with the same vividness — the terrible weather, the decadent feasts, the relentless cruelty, the longing for divine mercy. Buy it here.
'Nicked' by M.T. Anderson (2024)
A dreaming monk and a hard-boiled relic hunter attempt the heist of the millennium: stealing the body of St. Nicholas from its tomb. Nicked is a love story, a cracking good buddy comedy, a medieval thriller, and much more besides, set in a meticulously drawn portrait of 11th-century Europe. Buy it here.
'The House of Wisdom: How the Arabs Transformed Western Civilization' by Jonathan Lyons (2009)
At a time when Europeans were still trying to figure out when Easter was, Arab scholars were doing spherical geometry, performing surgery with sharpened fish bones, and calculating the circumference of Earth. We're still waking up to how much of the Western world rests on foundations built in the East. Buy it here.
'The Once and Future King' by T.H. White (1958)
It's still the greatest modern telling of the legend of King Arthur, in all its majesty and melancholy. In a towering feat of the imagination, White remade the stiff, formal figures of the body of literature known as the Matter of Britain, endowing the characters with new humor, warmth, and longing, making the ancient tales sing. Buy it here.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
'Sir Gawain and the Green Knight' (1300s)
A winter's day; a strange traveler; a brave knight; a fatal game. Written by an unknown hand, it's the most elegant and approachable medieval adventure, starring the most charming and human of all Arthur's knights. Buy it here.
This article was first published in the latest issue of The Week magazine. If you want to read more like it, you can try six risk-free issues of the magazine here.
-
What has the Dalai Lama achieved?
The Explainer Tibet’s exiled spiritual leader has just turned 90, and he has been clarifying his reincarnation plans
-
Europe's heatwave: the new front line of climate change
In the Spotlight How will the continent adapt to 'bearing the brunt of climate change'?
-
Sudoku medium: July 13, 2025
The Week's daily medium sudoku puzzle
-
Lemon and courgette carbonara recipe
The Week Recommends Zingy and fresh, this pasta is a summer treat
-
Oasis reunited: definitely maybe a triumph
Talking Point The reunion of a band with 'the power of Led Zeppelin' and 'the swagger of the Rolling Stones'
-
Properties of the week: grand rural residences
The Week Recommends Featuring homes in Wiltshire, Devon, and East Sussex
-
Kiefer / Van Gogh: a 'remarkable double act'
The Week Recommends Visit this 'heroic' and 'absurd' exhibition at the Royal Academy until 26 October
-
Mark Billingham shares his favourite books
The Week Recommends The novelist and actor shares works by Mark Lewisohn, John Connolly and Gillian Flynn
-
Heads of State: 'a perfect summer movie'
The Week Recommends John Cena and Idris Elba have odd-couple chemistry as the US president and British prime minister
-
The Red Brigades: a 'fascinating insight' into the 'most feared' extremist group of 1970s Italy
The Week Recommends A 'grimly absorbing' history of the group and their attempts to overthrow the Italian state
-
Jurassic World Rebirth: enjoyable sequel hampered by plot holes
Talking Point The latest dinosaur reboot captures the essence of the original – but leans too heavily on 'CGI-heavy set pieces'