Stumbled onto this book in a dollar bin and decided to give it a try after flipping through it. Certainly not a master work by any stretch, but a very entertaining and easy-flowing trek through an obscure era best known as the Dark Ages, following the collapse of the Western Roman empire. It is a tough era to be inspired by--it was the Era of the Small - small people of small quality, with small plans and small skills. A time of mediocrity--and oppression by the mediocre. Luckily this was not entirely true, and the embers of greatness that survived the era lead to the full flame of the Renaissance and a return to greatness, although not of the same grand scale as the Roman empire and ancient times. Different, more modern in sensibility. Nonetheless, this book does a nice job of surfing across the era. I'm puzzled why this would be labelled a "Kids/Teen" book, as it most certainly is not. It is written in a simpler, younger syntax, but it is an adult book. (I guess a smart teen could handle it!) A quick read, and not the authoritative take on the Dark Ages, but still a worthy read and a respectable take on it. Best buck I've ever spent!