Medieval
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Medieval
Book Reviews !
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The Time
Traveler's Guide To Medieval England:
A Handbook for Visitors to the Fourteenth Century
by
Ian Mortimer
A Must Read for medieval enthusiasts of all
fashions and at all levels!
In THE TIME TRAVELER'S GUIDE TO MEDIEVAL ENGLAND, Ian Mortimer takes
readers on a voyage to fourteenth-century England. Exploring the
time period as if it were a foreign country rather than dry facts in a
dusty textbook, Ian Mortimer imagines the past as virtual history, a
history that is happening. Ian Mortimer extends the approach of
architectural historians who recreate images of buildings as they were
during the period to cover more topics, especially those topics that a
visitor would need to know, much like tourist guides for visiting
foreign cultures. Ian Mortimer's approach looks not only at the
evidence but also the humanity of people living during the time.
Ian Mortimer combines "what if" scenarios in which outcomes are not
necessarily guaranteed with an awareness of our perspectives and life
today in order to pinpoint those areas of medieval life that clearly
differ from our own routines, values, and expectations. As
visitors to a fourteenth century present before us, we ask different
questions than would someone viewing the period from a safe,
comfortable distance. Consequently, the questions we ask and the
answers we discover have a vitality sometimes lacking in traditional
history.
THE TIME TRAVELER'S GUIDE TO MEDIEVAL ENGLAND examines topics a time
traveler from our century would want and need to know for a successful
visit to fourteenth century England. Chapters include the
following topics: the landscape, the people (with a look at the roles
of fighters, workers, the religious and more), the medieval character,
basic essentials, what to wear, traveling, where to stay, what to eat
and drink, health and hygiene, the law, and what to do. Ian
Mortimer gives a perspective to the landscape that allows a reader to
visualize the world before them. The chapter on medieval
character delves into such sub-topics as violence and cruelty, the
sense of humor and a warrior's love of flowers, education and
more. Basic essentials covers topics any time traveler (or
scholar) would need to know such as languages, dates, measuring time,
units of measurement, manners and politeness, shopping, money, and
more. Each chapter takes a reader deeper and deeper into the
culture of the time, building upon the other so that by the end of the
book, a reader feels one has visited the time and culture. Each
chapter presents a new look at topics, even for those well-versed in
the literature or history of the period. Chapters on health and hygiene
and the law bring a particularly powerful vision and insight into the
period. No matter how much one has studied the plague, Ian Mortimer's
presentation of it and other diseases makes a reader feel the
devastation from the perspective of people living through the event
much more than facts and figures. Ian Mortimer focuses on
the cultural differences between our time and that of fourteenth
century England. Mortimer's examination of medieval England
disperses modern stereotypes of "the Dark Ages" as a time of ignorance
and lack of civilization. Particularly compelling are his
discussions of cleanliness within the social and religious context as
well as his discussion of knowledge. Science and medicine differ
from today's perspective not through ignorance or a lack of study but
because the two incorporate other areas of study that modern times
discounts. Sixteen pages of rich illustrations, mostly from
medieval manuscrips accompany the text, adding to the visual image
built up by the author's words.
THE TIME TRAVELER'S GUIDE TO MEDIEVAL ENGLAND is an excellent choice
for neophytes and medieval scholars alike. For readers wanting to
explore Medieval England, the travel guide format brings the period
alive in memorable, vivid imagery with relevant historical
details. Readers who love historical fiction who tend to avoid
history due to its dryness will particularly appreciate the humanity
and sense of vibrancy Ian Mortimer brings to history. THE TIME
TRAVELER'S GUIDE TO MEDIEVAL ENGLAND is highly recommended to medieval
enthusiasts and lovers of medieval literature. THE TIME
TRAVELER'S GUIDE TO MEDIEVAL ENGLAND would make an important resource
for both undergraduate and graduate medieval literary students, helping
readers to visualize the time period and its literature in new and
exciting ways. This reader would have most appreciated this book
as a background resource during my graduate medieval studies, above all
for visualizing the background behind the literature. THE TIME
TRAVELER'S GUIDE TO MEDIEVAL ENGLAND is a fine example of the use of
imagination to ask relevant questions of history for literature
lovers. Even though those familiar with the period may already
know the material, at least in part, Ian Mortimer brings historical
facts and concepts together in an exciting combination to provide a
background for the reading of medieval literature. Even
such details as the size and lay-outs of medieval towns become more
memorable through his presentation. For those well-versed in the
period, Ian Mortimer brings a wonderful sense of humor to medieval
history. Last but not least, THE TIME TRAVELER'S GUIDE TO
MEDIEVAL ENGLAND is highly recommended to historical fiction, romance
and mystery authors writing in this period. Not only will his
research help provide more accuracy to historical fiction, but his
imagination asks the kinds of questions fictional authors should
ask. Ian Mortimer's THE TIME TRAVELER'S GUIDE TO MEDIEVAL
ENGLAND is a must read for medieval enthusiasts of all fashions and at
all levels!
Publisher: Touchstone (December 29, 2009)
Author
website
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Book description
The past is a foreign country.
This is your guidebook.
A
time machine has just transported you back to the fourteenth century.
What do you see? How do you dress? How do you earn a living and how
much are you paid? What sort of food will you be offered by a peasant
or a monk or a lord? And more important, where will you stay?
The Time Traveler's Guide to Medieval England
is not your typical look at a historical period. This radical new
approach shows us that the past is not just something to be studied; it
is also something to be lived. All facets of everyday life in this
fascinating period are revealed, from the horrors of the plague and war
to the ridiculous excesses of roasted larks and medieval haute couture.
Through
the use of daily chronicles, letters, household accounts, and poems of
the day, Morti-mer transports you back in time, providing answers to
questions typically ignored by traditional historians. You will learn
how to greet people on the street, what to use as toilet paper, why a
physician might want to taste your blood, and how to know whether you
are coming down with leprosy.
From the first step on the road to
the medieval city of Exeter, through meals of roast beaver and puffin,
Mortimer re-creates this strange and complex period of history. Here,
the lives of serf, merchant, and aristocrat are illuminated with
re-markable detail in this engaging literary journey. The result is the
most astonishing social history book you're ever likely to read:
revolutionary in its concept, informative and entertaining in its
detail, and startling for its portrayal of humanity in an age of
violence, exuberance, and fear.
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