THE THIRD HORSEMAN Climate Change and the Great Famine of the 14th Century

Rosen discusses how rain and cold at the beginning of Europe’s “Little Ice Age” in the early decades of the fourteenth century led to famine in the north and west. Narrator William Hughes does a workmanlike job holding listeners’ interest with the detailed historical material. However, he’s occasionally defeated in his pronunciation of medieval names and titles. Rosen spends the majority of this audiobook on the political machinations of the region and the age. In particular, he recounts military history and focuses considerable attention on the struggle for Scottish independence. His treatment of the apparent homosexuality of England’s King Edward II—although consistent with the sources he draws upon—is, well, medieval. F.C. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine [Published: AUGUST 2014]