ALTHOUGH THESE two books are written with children in mind, they are very well illustrated with color photos and diagrams, and give a fair overview of the way the people lived. Priced at $16.95, it’s a reasonably good buy, and worth it to get you kids interested in the Middle Ages and Renaissance.

Knights in Armor covers from the Norman Conquest of England to the fall of the age of knighthood to the foot-soldiers of the latter-period (and gunpowder and archery and pikes and ...) It also discusses siege warfare, tournament jousting, the Crusades, pilgrimages, knight errantry and battle. I personally enjoyed how the book dealt with pages and squiredom, how women lived and how the peasant fared under the gentry.

 In The Vikings, the subjects covered deal with the Varangian Guard, a holmgang, life in a Scandinavian household, a ship burial and the advent of Christianity in the Scandinavian world. The part I enjoyed with this book is the way it encourages children to consider learning more about their history and way of life.

 At the end of each book, there is a section called the "How Do We Know" section, where they deal with the documentation, plus a timeline of the period. If you’re a parent, get these books for your kids*

 *...or for the kid in you!