Norman London [Paperback]

William Fitz Stephen (Author), F. Donald Logan (Introduction), Frank Stenton (Contributor)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 29, 2008

This description of the City of London, its topography, monuments, trades, industries and population, is a vivid eye-witness account by one of its citizens who records the daily life and urban pastimes of its people. It was written sometime before 1183 and stands almost unique among medieval texts for its attention to the sounds, smells and sights of a cityscape. This revised edition has been published with the cooperation of the Historical Association of London. It includes Sir Frank Stenton's introductory essay, Prof. Butler's text, a new introduction by F. Donald Logan, and a new edition of the excellent "Map of London under Henry II" prepared by Marjorie B. Honeybourne and annotated by E. Jeffries Davis. Illustrated, maps, new introduction, updated bibliography, index.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Norman London is a collection of important studies presented to give a full picture of this city after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The collection is built around a text from sometime before 1183 in which William Fitz Stephen describes the City of London, its topography, monuments, trades, industries and population. It is a vivid eye-witness account by one of its own citizens that records the daily life and urban pastimes of its people. This text, originally written as an introduction to Fitz Stephen’s Life of Thomas Becket, is unique among medieval texts for its attention to the sounds and sights of a cityscape.

About the Author

William Fitz Stephen lived c. 1183 in and was the author of a Life of Thomas Becket.

Sir Frank M. Stenton, one of the most famous and influential of twentieth-century British historians, was a graduate of Keble College, Oxford (1902) with first-class honours in history. He was chair of Modern History at Reading University College until 1946 and the husband of Doris Mary (Parsons) Stenton. His major works include The First Century of English Feudalism 1066-1166 (1932) and Anglo-Saxon England (1943).

F. Donald Logan is Professor Emeritus of History at Emmanuel College, Boston.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 126 pages
• Publisher: Italica Press (September 29, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0934977194
• ISBN-13: 978-0934977197
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,480,930 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Norman London, October 26, 2007

By 

Mithridates VI of Pontus (United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Norman London (Paperback)

This book contains four parts: the introduction, by Donald Logan, an essay on Norman London by the noted historian Sir. Frank Stenton, the primary source of William Fitz Stephen describing the city, and two maps with accompanying explanations of major land marks with links to descriptions mentioned in William's text. They essay by Stenton and the William Fitz Stephen piece (written in 1183) are the highlights of this short volume. Stenton describes in detail the benefits and privileges that citizens of London are given (and demand as a medieval Commune). How the city was administered and divided, unique customs, and its economic position are but a few of the topics he covers. I am fascinated with the rise of the Medieval commune (originally a Italian concept that spread to Northern Europe and Spain) and the unique situation of London as most important city in England makes this a fascinating and informative read. William Fitz Stephen's text gives a truly vivid and realistic view of London life covering boys and their games to academics and the methods they use to argue with each other in the streets.

However, I was slightly disappointed with this volume for three main reasons. Firstly, the maps are of very poor quality although they are presented as a highlight of the text. They could have profited from not being computer generated (the visual quality of the drawing program Paint) and hand drawn for they are difficult to read. For example, I cannot tell the difference between a known boundary (....) and an uncertain boundary (. .. . ..) inside the city. The commentary to the map (which connects to William's descriptions in the text) almost makes up for these deficiencies since they are precise and descriptive. Secondly, the introduction to the volume is practically non-essential since it gives only a brief textbook level detail for the foundation of Rome adding little insight since the meat of information is in Stenton's essay. Lastly, almost nothing is said about the author, Willaim Fitz Stephen, besides that this was an introduction to another of his works written around 1183.

All in all, this is still a worthwhile volume.