Marxism and Medieval History

I’ll admit, I approached this audiobook skeptical—what could Marxist theory possibly offer about the medieval period that hasn’t been said already? But by the third essay, Kostick had me hooked. Folz’s narration is a standout, his voice rich with gravitas when delivering Kostick’s barbed insights but nimble enough to shift between sarcasm and scholarly precision. The real triumph here is how Kostick connects the Crusades to the material realities of serfs and merchants; it’s not just about religious fervor, but about who profited from war and who paid the butcher’s bill. My only critique? Some chapters feel overly dense with economic jargon, which might bog down casual listeners. And while Folz’s performance is stellar overall, his delivery of long, winding sentences occasionally trips up the pacing. Still, this isn’t just a history book—it’s a provocation, and that’s rare in medieval historiography.