Customer Reviews

The Time Traveler's Guide to Medieval England: A Handbook for Visitors to the Fourteenth Century

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I have been to medieval England by immersion in the writing of Ian Mortimer. The smells, the sites, the attitudes of the time have surrounded me. As the reader you become part of the fabric of the place. His writing leads the you through the homes and halls, the churches and landscape of the time. The reading is easy, not cold and academic, but warm and compassionate. For those of us that have only experienced a brief, school based, introduction to history, life in medieval England was probably described as 'nasty, brutish and short'. This is far from a complete picture. Ian brings the time and place to life. You will find that the book not only expands your understanding of the time, but when you finish reading it, you may be left with the feeing that you are leaving old friends behind.

Ian Mortimer's "The Time Travelers' Guide to Medieval England: A Guidebook for Visitors to the Fourteenth Century" is a highly detailed look at life in England several centuries ago, related as if the reader were preparing for an actual journey back in time, studying on what to do (and how to survive) in a vastly different world. The benefits of such an approach are large. The author explains: "As soon as you start to think of the past happening (as opposed to it having happened), a new way of conceiving history becomes possible ... You start to gain an inkling as to why people did this or that, and even why they believed things we find simply incredible."

The book covers virtually every aspect of life and death in Fourteenth century England, from the highest royalty to the lowest peasant (peasants, Mortimer explains, did not call themselves "peasants", but instead would have conceived themselves as members of some subset of society as "rustici" -- countrymen -- or "villani" -- villeins). Social hierarchies, food, clothing, housing, law and order, medicine, travel ... Mortimer seemingly touches upon and describes every aspect of life. He deliberately limits himself to a single century as "medieval" actually covers too extensive a slice of time for accurate summary and even so the author frequently addresses changing behavior over the course of that single century.

A vast amount of information is conveyed in an engaging, lively style. In the very first chapter Mortimer emphasizes his approach to social history by submerging the reader in an ocean of sensory imaginings, descrbing sights and sounds and especially smells of a visit to a medieval English city. And repeatedly thereafter the author reinforces this "you are there" experience. All in all, this is an excellent and highly vivid look at a past era.

The Time Traveller's Guide to Medieval England is just that--a comprehensive traveler's guide to the fourteenth century in England. It covers pretty much anything and everything of day-to-day life, from the people you would have encountered, to the clothes you would have worn, to the kind of medical treatment you would have received if you had gotten sick, and much, much more.

There's a lot here I already knew, but a lot I didn't--for example, that pockets were introduced during this century, as were differentiated shoes (left foot versus right, in other words). It's details like this, that you wouldn't normally think are important, that really are important in daily life. At first, the present-tense writing threw me off; but, as Mortimer says in his introduction, once you begin understanding history as happening rather than as has happened, then you'll better understand the complexities of fourteenth-century life.

As the back of the book paraphrases LP Hartley, "the past is a foreign country, they did things differently there..." It's not that things were bad or wrong with the way that people lived six hundred years ago; it's just that people back then had different ways of seeing the world. Take, for example, the chapter on health and medical practices. It's not that medical physicians and surgeons (two different things, up until the 17th century) were ignorant in the sense that we mean it; it's just that they used different areas of knowledge to make a diagnosis and treat a patient. Doctors and surgeons in the fourteenth century probably had as much knowledge as doctors do today--they just used things such as astronomy, religion, and blind faith in their practice. I wish the author had focused a little more on religion and education, however. In all, though, a fascinating study of medieval social life, and unlike any other history book I've read (and much more enjoyable than most). I read this book straight through, but it can also be used a a reference book, to dip into from time to time.

As other reviewers have said, this is a very good overview of the 14th century in England, in terms of the social history (not a place to go if you are looking for political history. I think Barbara Tuchman's Distant Mirror would fit that bill, and would be a fascinating companion read). He has an easy going style that is readable, without the 'lets make this really funny' kind of trap that some popular historians fall into. I felt that he made it interesting and accessible enough for readers with little background, and yet was novel enough for those of us who have some background with the time and place. I liked how much day to day details he found for us, and brought us to what life was like for the 'peasants' (interesting that they were not called that at the time). I did think some of his details were overdone. While I enjoyed looking at some of the lists of household items and such, putting costs weren't that necessary. But his sections on clothing, food, and housing were excellent.

There were a few glaring omissions: maps!!! There should have been a general English one, as well as a map of London and other places mentioned, as well as drawings of the houses and such that he describes. There was also nothing about child rearing or discipline, schooling or apprentiship. I was very surprised to see that he left out midwives and herbalists from the section on medical practitioners. Otherwise, this is a very written book that I would recommend to others.

There are so many wonderful uses for this witty, good-natured, and lovingly assembled compendium of all things "medieval" that I scarcely know where to begin. Anyone who is about to plunge into the literature, politics, culture, or sociology of the 1300's for their school assignments or just for their own pleasure will find both the material and the writing so engaging as to be addictive; it will be with great sorrow when you finish the book. That is, until you realise that NOW you can read Chaucer with an enhanced confidence and giddiness that the human heart does not change. And for those who love medieval mysteries (try Paul Doherty, if I might suggest just one author) this fascinating "tour" by Mortimer will answer (perhaps) many a question and reassure the reader that no, their mystery writers have not exaggerated the challenges and curiosities of the fourteenth century! For those who prefer a non-fiction analysis of some political situation (with monarchy or wars or even the repercussions of the Great Plague) even here this book will provide an immediate and provocative feel for the whole environment. For myself I was smitten with his initial suggestion: approach the century and its people from 1300 moving forward, forget what you thought you knew, what myth and maybe Hollywood have told you, and instead, sit back and let Mortimer steer you through the countryside and cityscape of the unfolding century with all the ease of a meandering skiff as it floats down a river on a warm afternoon. This book is a rare treat indeed. Mortimer wrote this compilation as a detailed survey but it is never burdensome; his humor is often pointed, but never embittered or crude. Mortimer's manner is respectful and he has a charming felicity with language. And, if you still need additional incentive to get this book, the reader may dip in and out of various chapters without doing irreparable harm to the flow or understanding of the whole. Now ... how do I convince this author to do the same for the 15th century?!

I'm not a historian or even a serious student of history -- I read history books for pure enjoyment. I can't think of another that has been as fascinating and informative as "Time Traveller's Guide to Medieval England". Ian Mortimer has written a handbook in the second person voice that really makes you feel a connection to and an understanding of 14th century England. (To be honest, it also made me much more appreciative of the modern world!)

I would recommend this book to anyone who is curious about the past and what it was like to live in that time. I only wish such handbooks were available for other centuries and countries -- it gives such a unique perspective to "history".

(I added a tag for SCA, because this is a very useful reference for re-enactors.)

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!

COURTESY OF BOOK ILLUMINATIONS

If I were going to write a novel set in Medieval England this book would be my bible. Mortimer packs an amazing amount of information into 340 pages (enhanced by sixteen full color plates). While he covers all the areas we expect in a "daily life" book, he goes well beyond them. He lays bare the social structure (far more complex than the idealized Three Estates), demographics (the median age was only twenty-one), mentalities--such things as sense of humor, attitudes towards women, violence, and credulity. The author's tone throughout is genial: he addresses the reader--the putative time-traveler--as "you" ("You would be crazy to engage a fourteenth century man in combat and have a chance of surviving. Most of them are much stronger than you."). Mortimer's focus is on the fourteenth century and, although this is the century that Barbara Tuchman in A Distant Mirror called "calamitous," the picture that he paints is not absolutely bleak. These were men and women who, even in the face of plague, famine, and peasant revolt, could still sing and dance and compose some of the finest poetry in our language. In fact, much of what we know about the age comes from Chaucer. And anyone who is planning to read or re-read the Canterbury Tales could find no better companion than this wonderful book.

This book is entertaining, yes, and there's a lot in it that is reasonably well researched, but this work falls into the pitfall that often looms in front of academics writing popular works: the temptation to present things "as they really were" ignores gaps or controversies in the evidence. In the first 17 pages that I read, I noted two misleading statements: the claim that in the fourteenth century most houses in medieval cities were being reworked into stone from timber originals (in fact the evidence seems to indicate the reverse-- timber framed houses were in their heyday), and that poor 'rental' style single-room lodgings had a space for cooking. Both of these statements are directly opposite the established view held by recent scholarly studies of medieval architecture (see for example Anthony Quiney's "Townhouses of Medieval Britain"- most poor rental lodgings did not have either cooking or heating facilities, though Mortimer is absolutely right about the dismal lack of plumbing.)
Granted, most people who enjoy this kind of book will not want to embroil themselves in footnotes, caveats and scholarly theories. For that very reason, though, books that profess to show things "as they really were" should be more careful not to mislead the general public. There's a lot in here that is reasonably well researched, but the book should be treated with care, and its limitations recognized. As a medievalist myself, I confess I had expected more, and was disappointed.

This book was one of excitement and fun. I felt as if i was acutally there walking beside Geoffery Chaucer while he talked about his next great book, or fighting alongside the Black Prince in France. This book is nothing short of a mircale because it really takes us back to the 14th century and the England of the 14th century, which was quite brutal.

Besides being fun and historically sound, Ian had some good points. I certainly would not want to face a knight with a broadsword anytime soon, knowing the men of this time were much stronger than they are today. And I really don't want to be a French knight at Crecy facing Edward III's longbowmen. And I absolutly don't want to be living in Europe between 1348-49, because I don't want to die of the Black Death.

I found the bit on the cloths cool. The kings and noblemen of the 14th century thought is was fasionable to wear jewelry. The queens wore headresses that had '154 pearls' dotted on them. Women today would believe those women to be rich. Also that a medieval woman had to wear a nightshirt and nightcap. I thought the slept in the neud. It was very exciting to learn that.

This is definatly a really cool book. I have a signed copy of it. I recommend this book to anyone intrested in Medieval England