Living History [Hardcover]

Philipp Elliot-Wright (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 2000

Living History is the ultimate how-to-book. Taking six of the most popular historical periods, it shows how re-enactors and other history enthusiasts can recreate the uniforms, equipment and life-style of past warriors and their comrades, male and female. The six periods are: Roman; Vikings and Saxons; Medieval; English Civil War; Napoleonic and American Civil Wars; World War One and World War Two.

Re-enactment is a growing hobby in Britain, Europe and the United States, with tens of thousands of people recreating the battles and living quarters of past ages. Every aspect of past living is examined, including the tactics and organization of armies, the development of medicine and care for the wounded, the manufacture and craftsmanship of uniforms and weapons.

Step by step master classes show how to recreate uniforms and equipment, establish authentic camps, and interpret all these activities as both education and entertainment for the general public. An extensive directory of re-enactment societies and suppliers in the United States and Europe completes this essential book for all re-enactors, history enthusiasts and history teachers. The author's authoritative text is accompanied by over 150 color photographs illustrating some of the finest re-enactors in the world.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Dr. Philipp J.C. Elliot-Wright is a lecturer in history at West Thames College and a leading writer on military history and re-enactment. He is the author of the much praised English Civil war title in the Brassey's History of Uniforms series, described by the Pike and Host Society as "quite superb--this book will certainly become a standard work." A founding member of the Napoleonic Association, he is currently an officer of the Royalist Staff of the Sealed Knot re-enactment for Military Illustrated and is founding judge of the first national competition for re-enactment societies.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Brassey's Inc (August 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1574882775
• ISBN-13: 978-1574882773
• Product Dimensions: 12.4 x 8.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,290,485 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great. . . if you're British, June 6, 2000

By 

P. Geyer "prgeyer" (Vienna, VA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Living History (Brassey's Master Class Series) (Hardcover)

I was very excited to see this book. There is really very little written about the theory and practice of living history and reenactment, and I thought this would be the cure. Well, it is and it isn't. Probably the best thing about this book is the photographs. From the ancient Romans and Celts, through the Middle Ages, Napoleonic Wars to the two World Wars (including a lot in between), the full color pictures are gorgeous. The text also offers a lot in terms of describing sources for research materials and reproduction costumes and equipment.

My biggest beef with this book is that it addresses only the very limited scope of living history in Britain. As a living historian in the United States, my experiences have been very different from what the book describes. The author also only describes a single, or at most two or three, groups that reenact each of the various time periods. While he certainly chooses some very good groups, their breadth of interest and experience is necessarily limited. I would have preferred to see a broader selection of societies sampled.

It's nice to see somebody at least attempting to approach the world of living history. Perhaps the author will take on living history in North America for a future edition of this book. There's a huge and varied world outside of Britain that deserves a look too!