Hello!
I'm looking to find a good read about medeival Europe dynasties, their conflicts and their effects. As I am not well versed in these topics, I am looking for a beginner level book that isn't too dense and involved but at the same time isn't historically inaccurate just to include some "wow" factors. I heard about Jared Diamond's Guns, Germs & Steel but am apprehensive about it as I have seen some mixed reviews. The premise/content presented in the book looks promising nonetheless.
Can you please suggest some books that fit these criteria.
Thanks in advance!
Is there an area of medieval European history that particularly interests you? It's hard to recommend a book that covers the whole subject well, but there are quite a few options if you're interested in England or France, or a particular conflict like the Hundred Years War.
As a starting point, you may want to check out The AskHistorians Booklist, which is a curated list of recommendations made by the flaired users of AskHistorians. Books are tagged with a difficulty, and based on what you've said in your post I'd say you should look for the Entry Level books (there's quite a few options there!)
If you're interested in political dynasties, something like The Struggle For Mastery: Britain 1066-1284 by David Carpenter is a good place to start. It doesn't cover a huge range of time, but it really explores a fascinating period of time in British political history including the results of the Norman Conquest, The Anarchy, Magna Carta, and the conquest of Wales.
Another good option would be The Hundred Years’ War: A People’s History by David Green, this is a great introduction to arguably the Middle Ages' most famous war, one which involves a lot of dynastic politics. It also covers the wider implications of the war beyond just the battles and squabbling kings.
You also might enjoy Infidel Kings and Unholy Warriors by Brian Catlos, which covers the Crusades with chapters spanning from medieval Iberia to the holy land and describing the complexity of the conflict in fascinating and engaging detail that doesn't require any existing knowledge of the period or the crusades generally.
As someone that is primarily interested in the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople, I found Johnathan Harris' The End of Byzantium really fascinating.
It mainly follows the last dynasty of the Byzantine Empire from 1400-1453, which culminates in the loss of the legendary city of Constantinople's to the upstart Ottoman Empire.
Thankfully, Harris is a great writer and the book is altogether a fun and light read without getting overly complicated. Yet, the book is still well-sourced, published by Yale University Press, and includes about 40 pages of notes and bibliography.