Powers and Thrones: A New History of the Middle Ages

This is a big book taking on a big subject. Dan Jones took on the task of telling European history between the end of the Roman empire and the dawn of the modern era in a single volume, and he pretty much succeeded. It is a good history – well written and interesting, not dry and academic.
I recommend paper rather than a digital or audio version. The maps, the footnotes, and especially the beautiful photographs are important, and I found myself flipping back and referring to them often.