Prompt Cast
"Powers and Thrones": A Comprehensive History of the Middle Ages
TLDR In his new book, "Powers and Thrones," Dan Jones provides a character-driven history of the Middle Ages, incorporating themes of climate change, mass migration, pandemic disease, technological change, and global networks. Jones emphasizes the importance of instinct and storytelling techniques influenced by cinema and television in delivering an entertaining and well-executed narrative.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
Dan Jones has written a new book, "Powers and Thrones," which covers a comprehensive history of the Middle Ages, incorporating various themes and topics while still maintaining a deep and engaging narrative.
04:42
Dan Jones wanted to write a character-driven history of the Middle Ages, and he made decisions about what to include in the book based on his own interests and instincts, as well as a desire to explore themes of climate change, mass migration, pandemic disease, technological change, and global networks.
09:36
Dan Jones discusses his process of selecting and organizing historical content for his book, emphasizing the importance of instinct and storytelling techniques influenced by cinema and television in delivering history in an entertaining manner.
14:06
Dan Jones emphasizes the importance of presenting history from a perspective and having the confidence to do it the way he wants, rather than trying to please everyone, in order to create a compelling and well-executed narrative.
18:28
Dan Jones explains that he values feedback from trusted individuals in order to improve his work and emphasizes the importance of continuously striving to do better in one's craft, drawing inspiration from his experience in concrete finishing and the craftsmanship of the 15th century.
24:04
Dan Jones explains that he was attracted to the idea of writing a comprehensive history of the Middle Ages because it would build on his previous work, challenge him to learn about new topics, and provide an opportunity for growth as a writer, although his original plan to travel to various historical sites for research was disrupted by the pandemic.
28:54
Dan Jones explains that he considered writing a global history of the Middle Ages or a version focused on marginalized groups, but ultimately decided to incorporate themes of climate change, mass migration, pandemic disease, and technological change in order to create a book that would be relevant and significant in the longer term.
33:56
Dan Jones discusses the use of footnotes in his book as a way to include slightly crass jokes and engage in a conversation with himself, and emphasizes the importance of presenting the bad aspects of history without imposing present-day moral judgments on the past.
38:53
Dan Jones reflects on how his perspective on the Middle Ages, particularly English medieval history, has changed over the course of his career and the writing of his books.
43:44
Dan Jones reflects on how his perspective on English medieval history has shifted over time, recognizing the peripherality of England in the Middle Ages and the appeal of the period as a blend of the exotic and the familiar, leading him to write a trilogy of novels set in the Hundred Years' War.
49:01
Dan Jones discusses his upcoming historical fiction trilogy set in the Middle Ages, which aims to explore the reality of medieval life and warfare by asking legitimate historical questions that cannot be answered through traditional historical accounts.
Categories:
History
Society & Culture
