The Time Traveler's Guide to Medieval EnglandIan Mortimer
I don't read a lot of nonfiction, and when I do, it's almost never history. Still, Jen's review of The Time Traveler's Guide to Medieval England forced me to run out and grab this book immediately.
The tone is so conversational, the material so fascinating, that I blew through the book in a day or two. True, I skimmed some parts, but I was pleased overall. Mortimer takes us through Medieval England as though -- you might have guessed by the title -- we were a time traveler having landed in medieval England.
Mortimer very throughly covers the landscape, people, medieval character, basic essentials (such as dates, units of measurement, and manners and politeness), clothing, traveling, where to stay (an inn? what about a monastery?), food and drink, health and hygiene (now there's an eye-opening chapter!), the law, and what to do (which provides not only a discussion of the activities the medieval people enjoyed, but also gives an overview of the literary landscape).
At right: a leper ringing his bell -- stay away!
I began by thinking that this book would be an excellent resource for my classroom; little did I expect it to be such a page-turner. If you're even a little interested in medieval England, you'd do well to check out this very thorough guide. (In fact, despite a few slow parts, this book is nearly perfect.)
In a nutshell: Conversational, fascinating, and thorough, Mortimer's Guide is a must for teachers, students, and readers alike.
Bibliolatry Scale: 5.5 out of 6 stars
FTCBS: Yet another book I purchased for myself. Get off my back, feds!
The tone is so conversational, the material so fascinating, that I blew through the book in a day or two. True, I skimmed some parts, but I was pleased overall. Mortimer takes us through Medieval England as though -- you might have guessed by the title -- we were a time traveler having landed in medieval England.
Mortimer very throughly covers the landscape, people, medieval character, basic essentials (such as dates, units of measurement, and manners and politeness), clothing, traveling, where to stay (an inn? what about a monastery?), food and drink, health and hygiene (now there's an eye-opening chapter!), the law, and what to do (which provides not only a discussion of the activities the medieval people enjoyed, but also gives an overview of the literary landscape).
At right: a leper ringing his bell -- stay away!I began by thinking that this book would be an excellent resource for my classroom; little did I expect it to be such a page-turner. If you're even a little interested in medieval England, you'd do well to check out this very thorough guide. (In fact, despite a few slow parts, this book is nearly perfect.)
In a nutshell: Conversational, fascinating, and thorough, Mortimer's Guide is a must for teachers, students, and readers alike.
Bibliolatry Scale: 5.5 out of 6 stars
FTCBS: Yet another book I purchased for myself. Get off my back, feds!
7 comments:
This is definitely my kind of nonfiction. I've read quite a few favorable reviews on this one; I need to read it soon!
Ooh, I just got this book out from the library and can't wait to read it. Great review!
Cool...looks like fun!!!
Oh, I'm so flattered my review made you grab this book, and even more pleased that you enjoyed it!
Sounds like a great book (and I love the cover art) - I'll have to see about getting a copy. Thanks!
I am interested in medieval history and this sounds like a fun book-I found your blog via the blog hop-I am now a follower
also love the cover. can't wait to read it.
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