Youre at an event. some nice lady comes up to you and sayd 'wow! youguys look great! how can I find out more about your period? I might want to do that!"

what books do you give her? Remember, she's not asking for a complete College history class. She'll looking for general info. And you're looking for information sources that are sexy, interesting and very accessible. Preferrably with big color pictures .

_The Medieval Soldier_ by Embleton et al, of course, but what if she wants real history, not just pretty pictures?

For general medieval life, I ahve them read -Life and Times of Margery Kemp_, and _Louis XI_. Chatty, easy to read.

what else?

--AM

Crispin has asked for resources for learning more about the 15th C.. Here are some of my favorites:
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“The Wars of the Roses: From Richard II to the fall of Richard III at Bosworth Field- seen through the eyes of their contemporaries”

Edited by Elizabeth Hallam

1988, Weidenfeld & Nicholson, NY

ISBN 1-55584-240-2

I think this is one of the “must have” books for the beginning 15th C. reenactor. Much like “The Paston letters” this book covers not only the facts at hand but delves into corollary information that gives the facts relevance. For instance Part V covers the reign of Edward IV and includes such expanded topics as

Warfare and the people
Elizabeth Woodville
Caxton
The Catholic Monarchs
Textiles and Tailoring
Warwick the kingmaker
and
Europe’s first economic community

among others.

The book relies heavily on contemporary and first person accounts, paintings, and drawings to bring the period to life. At 2-4 pages long, each topics is fairly covered without dragging out unnecessarily.

312 pages, slightly oversized format

Glossary, index, full bibliography

Available from any online used bookseller for $18-$40

Gwen’s rating-*****

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“A History of Women in the West- Silences of the Middle Ages”

Georges Duby & Michelle Perrot, General Editors
Christiane Klapisch-Zuber - Editor

1992, Harvard University Press

ISBN0-674-40368-1
From the book- “Drawing on myriad sources - from the faint traces left by the rocking cradle at the site of an early medieval home to an antique illustration of Eve’s fall from grace- this second volume in the celebrated series offers new perspectives on women of the past. 12 renowned historians from many countries examine the image of women in the masculine mind, their social condition, and their daily experience from the demise of the Roman empire to the genesis of the Italian Renaissance”.

This is a very scholarly book that will take some wading through, but I feel the information it holds is well worth the time. I found information on the Church’s view of women and resulting societal pressures to be a real eye-opener.

575 pgs, high quality softcover.

Copious footnotes, index, full bibliography

About $17

Gwen’s rating - ****

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“Memoirs of a Medieval Woman- the life and times of Margery Kempe”

Louise Collis

1983, harper & Row

ISBN 0-06-090992-7

The biography of the extraordinary Margery Kempe. Born in about 1373 in King’s Lynn, Margery deserted her husband and 14 children to make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem to expiate a “secret sin” in her early life. Along the way she meets many famous prelates and dignitaries, gets into all sorts of scrapes and survives a feverish voyage in the stinking galleys of a Venetian boat.

Whether you think Margery a mystic or a lunatic, her autobiography provides a colorful and detailed picture of everyday medieval life in England and the Mediterranean rim.

270 pages, paperback

index

Under $15

Gwen’s rating - ****

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Women in the Middle Ages”

Frances and Joseph Gies

1978, Harper & Row

ISBN -0-06-464037-X

Like their other books, the Gies take scholarly material and edit and digest it for the general public. Although sometimes short on background or meaty content, this book is a fine introduction to the subject that hits virtually all of the important points. A wonderful source for basic knowledge with no glaring errors to overlook.

264 pages, conventional paperback

Footnotes, index, full bibliography

under $10

Gwen’s Rating- *****

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Hope these help!

Gwen

“The Wars of the Roses: From Richard II to the fall of Richard III at Bosworth Field- seen through the eyes of their contemporaries” Edited by Elizabeth Hallam is also a fantastic book as it covers a lot of ground in very manageable bites. It's also written in a very friendly way. I've noticed that some of the history books are enough to choke on, but definitely not this one!

What other historical fiction do you guys like (both for interest as fiction and for historical detail/accuracy)
Someone elsewhere recomended Dorothy Dunnett's Niccolo Rising (series). If you have read any of those - what is your opinion on the historical details?

Others?

Thanks.

She really was a wacko and her highjinks in the name of Faith are pretty frickin' hilarious

Think brother juniper meets the crazy cat lady down the street....

--Anne-Marie

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[ 09-01-2004: Message edited by: Martin ]

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