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Jump to navigationJump to searchThe Time Traveller's Guide to Medieval England: A Handbook for Visitors to the Fourteenth Century by Ian Mortimer (view source)
Revision as of 10:29, 9 August 2020
, 10:29, 9 August 2020no edit summary
Mortimer's book is divided into eleven chapters, covering such topics as the landscape, the medieval character, health and hygiene, and the law. He uses examples to illustrate his points, such as a genuine medieval gang that evaded the law or examples of a few women who broke out of the status quo and became unusually wealthy and powerful. Queen Isabella is the second richest person in the century; quite remarkable when women were regarded as property of their husbands and fathers. He also attempts to convey the tragedy of the plague; while other historians may evaluate it for its effect on history, which was largely beneficial, Mortimer shows us how it was anything but that to the third to half of the population that died from it and their relatives, who watched them die and mourned for them. Mortimer even imagines a few conversations that travellers might have, for example, when bartering for food.
My favorite section, however, was the chapter on clothing. Using illuminated manuscripts and tapestries, Mortimer shows how the style of dress changed drastically from the beginning of the century to the end. Clothing more than anything enables me to visualize the people described in the book and, in my experience, is rarely mentioned in detail in schools or museums. I loved learning how the invention of the button changed clothing styles and how people moved gradually towards more provocative styles, which were , of course , disapproved of by clergy and the elderly.
This is certainly history worth reading. It's not heavy at all and is a perfect read for the non-academic who wishes to learn a lot more about the Middle Ages but doesn't have the patience for a more serious, longer study.
Thank you to the publisher for sending a copy to The Bookbag!
Further reading suggestion: For more by this author, try [[The Fears of Henry IV: The Life of England's Self-Made King by Ian Mortimer|The Fears of Henry IV: The Life of England's Self-Made King]]. For fiction, we can recommend [[Abbess of Meaux: The Law of Angels by Cassandra Clark]].
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