"The authors allow medieval man and woman to speak for themselves through selections from past journals, songs, even account books."--Time
Life in a Medieval Castle
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Book Description
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"The Gieses succeed in making a remote and unfamiliar world accessible." -- Kirkus Reviews
About the Author
Fiances and Joseph Gies have been writing books about medieval history for thirty years. Together and separately, they are the authors of more than twenty books, including Life in a Medieval City, Life in a Medieval Castle, Life in a Medieval Village, The Knight in History, and Cathedral, Forge, and Waterwheel. They live near Ann Arbor, Michigan.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
64 of 66 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
What Life in a Castle Hopefully Was Like,
By
This review is from: Life in a Medieval Castle (Paperback)
This short book on life in a medieval castle centers around the history of one fortress on the border between England and Wales, and then relates that story to castles across Western Europe. The passages are divided into chapters on all facets of castle life, and are written in a clear, almost "novel" like way. Some of the facts presented are well-known, but there were enough fresh tidbits and interesting anecdotes that I never found myself bored. In addition, at the end of the book, is a list of historically important castles, ranging in construction from the 9th century to the 15th century, that can be useful if the reader is planning a trip to England, France, Spain or elsewhere in Europe. All in all, an entertaining and well written book.
67 of 70 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
How many of your History 101 books do you read again?,
By A Reader (New York City, USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Life in a Medieval Castle (Paperback)
As a 17 year old freshman, I expected to have to force my way through the assigned chapters of what I expected to be a mega-boring dose of medieval torture. I was delighted enough to read the whole book in a weekend, and have picked it, and its sequels (which were not required reading), up again and again throughout the years. What makes it unique is that its painstaking research is concisely and vividly presented, focusing on specific people within the strata of life within a medieval castle. It doesn't glorify, get bogged down in details, pity or condescend to its subject. There's dirt, disease and war along with everyday chores, pastimes, dining and amusement. It's a must read for anyone interested in an accurate and unembellished picture of the gamut of medieval society. I'm glad to see that it is still in print.
47 of 49 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Entertaining and useful,
This review is from: Life in a Medieval Castle (Paperback)
Researching? Expanding your horizons just for kicks? This book is excellent by either account. Perhaps what I appreciated most about this book was that it covered a little bit of everything - from history to architecture to military engagements to domestic uses to the people who actually lived in castles. Castles really come to life in this book - as well as the people housed within. There's enough detail in here to satisfy the researcher - but the prose moves along at a trim pace so you won't get bogged down. If you're interested in a specific facet of castles or castle life, you may have to supplement your knowledge elsewhere, but this is a fine overview of castles and their history.
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Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
"ON THE MORNING OF SEPTEMBER 28, 1066, nearly a thousand double-ended, open longboats, each mounting a single square sail, suddenly appeared off the coast of England at Pevensey, about forty miles southwest of Dover." Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
great medieval castles, rectangular keep, forest eyre, inner bailey, domestic range, outer bailey Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
William Marshal, Matthew Paris, Middle Ages, Trustees of the British Museum, William the Conqueror, Count Robert, Magna Carta, William Fitz Osbern, Department of the Environment, Roger Bigod, Chepstow Castle, King Stephen, Simon de Montfort, Archives Photographiques, King John, Richard the Lionhearted, Bogo de Clare, Empress Matilda, King Philip, Bodleian Library, First Crusade, Prince Edward, Tower of London, William Rufus, Christmas Day New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
"ON THE MORNING OF SEPTEMBER 28, 1066, nearly a thousand double-ended, open longboats, each mounting a single square sail, suddenly appeared off the coast of England at Pevensey, about forty miles southwest of Dover." Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
great medieval castles, rectangular keep, forest eyre, inner bailey, domestic range, outer bailey Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
William Marshal, Matthew Paris, Middle Ages, Trustees of the British Museum, William the Conqueror, Count Robert, Magna Carta, William Fitz Osbern, Department of the Environment, Roger Bigod, Chepstow Castle, King Stephen, Simon de Montfort, Archives Photographiques, King John, Richard the Lionhearted, Bogo de Clare, Empress Matilda, King Philip, Bodleian Library, First Crusade, Prince Edward, Tower of London, William Rufus, Christmas Day New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 55
books:
See all 55 books this book cites
27
books
cite this book:
See all 27 books citing this book
- Life in Norman England by O. G. Tomkeieff on 7 pages
- English Society in the Early Middle Ages: 1066-1307; Volume 3 (Hist of England, Penguin) by Doris Mary Stenton on 4 pages
- William the Conqueror: The Norman Impact Upon England (English Monarchs) by David C. Douglas in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
- The Master of Game by Edward of Norwich on page 126, and Back Matter
- The English Mediaeval House by Margaret Wood in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
See all 55 books this book cites
- Marriage and the Family in the Middle Ages by Frances Gies on 4 pages
- Cathedral, Forge and Waterwheel: Technology and Invention in the Middle Ages by Joseph Gies in Front Matter, Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
- Life in a Medieval Village by Frances Gies in Front Matter, Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
- Emotional Rescue: The Theory and Practice of a Feminist Father (Thinking Gender) by Isaac D. Balbus in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
- Who Cooked the Last Supper: The Women's History of the World by Rosalind Miles in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
See all 27 books citing this book
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