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The Time Traveler's Guide to Medieval England
The Time Traveler's Guide to Medieval England: A Handbook for Visitors to the Fourteenth Century | Ian Mortimer
The past is a foreign country. This is your guidebook. A time machine has just transported you back to the fourteenth century. What do you see? How do you dress? How do you earn a living and how much are you paid? What sort of food will you be offered by a peasant or a monk or a lord? And more important, where will you stay? The Time Traveler's Guide to Medieval England is not your typical look at a historical period. This radical new approach shows us that the past is not just something to be studied; it is also something to be lived. All facets of everyday life in this fascinating period are revealed, from the horrors of the plague and war to the ridiculous excesses of roasted larks and medieval haute couture. Through the use of daily chronicles, letters, household accounts, and poems of the day, Morti-mer transports you back in time, providing answers to questions typically ignored by traditional historians. You will learn how to greet people on the street, what to use as toilet paper, why a physician might want to taste your blood, and how to know whether you are coming down with leprosy. From the first step on the road to the medieval city of Exeter, through meals of roast beaver and puffin, Mortimer re-creates this strange and complex period of history. Here, the lives of serf, merchant, and aristocrat are illuminated with re-markable detail in this engaging literary journey. The result is the most astonishing social history book you're ever likely to read: revolutionary in its concept, informative and entertaining in its detail, and startling for its portrayal of humanity in an age of violence, exuberance, and fear.
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Texreader
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I had to get a book about England while in England

51 likes3 stack adds
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Centique
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Pickpick

Loved this! It‘s set up as a travel guide to the 14th century, so rather than detailing all the events of the century, Mortimer explains what the cities and towns are like, where you might sleep, what you should wear, what you might eat, how you‘ll get around, what you‘ll see on the streets etc etc. Really fascinating & gave me a lot of “did ya know‘s” to bother my husband with 😂 I think even he gasped at the cure for quinsy ⬇️Tw animal cruelty

Centique Take a fat cat, flay it well, & draw out the guts. Take the grease of a hedgehog, the fat of a bear, resins, fenugreek, sage, honeysuckle gum & virgin wax & crumble this & stuff the cat with it. Then roast the cat & gather the dripping & anoint the sufferer with it. 😱 2y
CarolynM I‘m glad I don‘t have Quinsy🤣 2y
Centique @CarolynM I know right?!! 2y
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TrishB This sounds fab- I think I‘ve read one of his other books 🤔 2y
LeahBergen Ewww! That cure! 😆 2y
Bluebird I love his travel guides! He makes you feel like you are right there….sometimes that‘s not a good thing! Lol 🤢🥴😷 glad I can ‘visit‘ from the comfort of my sofa in the 21st century. 2y
Centique @TrishB so good, I‘ll definitely read more from him. 🙌 2y
Centique @LeahBergen I can‘t help but wonder where or how you get hedgehog grease, and do you just have a pot of bear fat on hand? 😱 2y
Centique @Bluebird it has been a fun journey to take, and yes, from a safe distance! Will read more of these for sure. 2y
Rissreads 🤣🤣🤣 2y
74 likes2 stack adds10 comments
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LibraryCin
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Pickpick

I found this so interesting. There is so much detail to immerse you into this time and place in people‘s daily lives. And I do like the way it‘s set up, with the reader “time travelling” there. I feel like this is the setting for (or at least bits and pieces are) many role-playing games, as well as much fantasy, whether on purpose or not. It turns out this is a series! I will definitely be continuing

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rabbitprincess
Mehso-so

A so-so for me because, although the writing was fine and the concept a good one, this book did not lean into the « travel guide for time travellers » concept nearly as much as I‘d hoped. I would like to have seen it actually formatted more like a Lonely Planet guide.

TiredLibrarian I like your "Lonely Planet" idea! ? 3y
rabbitprincess @TiredLibrarian It would be such a neat way to share the historical information! 3y
16 likes2 comments
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i.z.booknook
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Pickpick

This book was a fantastic look at all aspects of life in medieval England! Everything possible was covered from what to wear, what roads to take, etiquette, keeping time, and politics and courts. It went from the lowest peasant to the king.
Mortimer has a deep respect for the medieval people and doesn‘t patronise or imply stupidly but looks at them in their own time as we would look at ourselves in our time.

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i.z.booknook
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Oops... 😬 I was leaning on the book highlighting and then *crack*!
My mum said if I put a strip of cello tape down it it‘ll stop the pages coming loose?

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i.z.booknook
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Errr thanks, Snowy 🙄😂

erzascarletbookgasm It‘s a fury bookmark! 😄 5y
61 likes1 comment
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i.z.booknook
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Another book has arrived for my stack of medieval books I‘m looking into at the moment 😊 I‘m very excited for this one because it is from the perspective of if you found yourself in medieval England, what exactly would you see in terms of landscape and people and what you would need to know to navigate it, I.e. clothes, travel, etc. Sounds amazing! 😍

jesseastin Ooh, I thought this looked familiar. I have “Time Travelers Guide to Elizabethan England” on my bookshelf 😊 5y
i.z.booknook @jesseastin I think I‘m going to have to read more after this one too! I love Elizabethan England too! 😩😂 5y
48 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Caroline2
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I would love to be a #daytripper back to Medieval England. 😯 #beatlemaynia

InBooksILive Oh me too!! 😁 6y
Eggs Nice!! 6y
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Merethebookgal
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Pickpick

This was a very informative but also very interesting book on what it would have been like to live in 14th century England. Whether you‘re researching this time period or just looking to learn something, definitely check it out! (The audiobook narrator was great, too.)

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Abe
Pickpick

Great read about medieval England and how they lived in those times!

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Abe
Pickpick

Great history book about medical England!

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BeththeBookDragon
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Hahahaha. PS. Love my new Paperwhite.

42 likes1 stack add
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BeththeBookDragon
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I couldn‘t wait to start... I had to put down my other book. Which I almost never do... PS. Is a Kindle Paperwhite worth it?

BarbaraTheBibliophage I love my Voyage, but also loved my old Paperwhite. p.s. This book‘s on my TBR! 7y
BeththeBookDragon @BarbaraTheBibliophage What‘s the difference? I haven‘t paid much attention! 7y
Reviewsbylola Idk but I was tempted to buy a paper white the other day when they were on sale. 😂 7y
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BarbaraTheBibliophage One is newer and a little fancier. A little heavier too, which is the downside for me. Personally I‘d buy the cheaper and lighter model again. 7y
BeththeBookDragon @BarbaraTheBibliophage Is it backlit like the Fire? Or is it more like the Paperwhite? I think the screen is hard on my eyes as I spend all my work days in front of a computer screen... 7y
BarbaraTheBibliophage The Voyage‘s backlight is more like a Paperwhite than a Fire. 7y
Kindredanne I have the newest Kindle Paperwhite and I love it!! 7y
49 likes2 stack adds7 comments
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erincb82

I am really digging this! Lots of great info presented in an accessible and engaging way.

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MayJasper
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This book is on my TBR. One day I'll track down a copy of it.
#novemberbythenumbers #14
@JoeStalksBeck @Tiffy_Reads

AlaMich Sounds very interesting. I have no doubt that the 14th century was a fascinating and smelly era. 😉 7y
Jabberwocky This looks so cool! 7y
MayJasper @AlaMich So so smelly! 7y
MayJasper @Jaberwocky doesn't it just 7y
Born.A.Reader I bought this for my hubby and still have yet to read it lol 7y
91 likes5 stack adds5 comments
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Born.A.Reader
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I would LOVE to visit England one day -maybe or maybe not in medieval times 😁.
I actually picked this up for hubby and because he's had it nestled away on his bookshelf I haven't managed to read it yet.
#nfaboutacountryyoudliketovisit
#UncannyOctober
@RealLifeReading

Zelma Ooh, that looks like fun. 7y
DefLeppard I have all the books in that collection. :) 7y
Born.A.Reader @Zelma doesn't it??! @Tamora1979 how many are there? 7y
DefLeppard @Born.A.Reader I have the Medieval, Restoration and Elizabethan "guides." Hope this helps. ? 7y
35 likes1 stack add4 comments
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reading_teapot
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My fav september book

2 likes1 comment
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Texreader
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My book purchase at the National Gallery. Doesn't it look good? Who thinks Van Gogh and Monet would be upset that I bought magnets of their magnificent art? I love them!!

Elisa Oh I have that book on my shelf but haven't tackled it yet!! Would love to hear your thoughts!! 😃 7y
kingdomofbookss So beautiful 7y
Texreader @Elisa I haven't started it yet. But I look forward to it! 7y
Texreader @kingdomofbookss It is a lovely cover. 7y
87 likes4 stack adds4 comments
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annamatopoetry
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Mehso-so

Overall, I found this book quite interesting, it's captivating in that way that popular history has to be to stay interesting; it provided a large amount of information without getting dense. On the other hand, Mortimer took such an extreme position of relativism (he's writing for a general audience, I get it, but still) that a political analysis becomes nigh impossible.

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annamatopoetry
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Today's #bokfika is chai and biscotti at Starbucks, since Coffee Works was out of everything edible three hours before closing 😒

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annamatopoetry
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Rules are important but these feel a little... haphazardly arranged

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annamatopoetry
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I started this in June, managed to lose it (??? I have no idea how or where, unless I forgot it on our roof terrace and someone stole it) but I got a new copy yesterday.

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Libby1
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#booktober
#longtitles
#catsoflitsy

A Time Traveller's Guide to Medieval England is not only a long title but has also received my cat's Tail (Tale?) of Approval.

26 likes8 stack adds
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I-read-and-eat
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So I managed to dig up some actual #bookmarks eventhough I mostly use cards, receipts or whatever else is on hand. These are all free bookstore bookmarks. But thanks to @BooksRockMyWorld I will soon have made my own cute bookmarks😍

*The tagged book is the one the bookmarks are on top of. Lovely history book, very much fun to read.

#booktober @RealLifeReading

RealLifeReading Fun to see your bookmarks! 8y
BooksRockMyWorld Weee can't wait to see them! ❤ 8y
LeahBergen ❤️❤️ 8y
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I-read-and-eat @RealLifeReading @LeahBergen thanks for the love. @BooksRockMyWorld I already find a picture of what I want, Saturday will be crafst-day 😊 8y
squibblesreads I love seeing people's bookmarks! I use so many receipts even though I make my own bookmarks 😂 8y
sneirr Broese! 💜 The title of that book is very intruiging.. 8y
I-read-and-eat @squibblesreads I usually end up with receipts between the pages as well, time to better myself. @sneirr Utrecht had the most amazing bookshops. I visit Broese at least once a week 😊 8y
sneirr @I-read-and-eat my favourite bookshop in Utrecht is Bijleveld. They have amazing free bookmarks as well. I hope I can move back to Utrecht once I've finished uni.. 8y
I-read-and-eat @sneirr They have such a great collection. Where do you go to uni? 8y
sneirr @I-read-and-eat I study classics in Nijmegen 8y
I-read-and-eat @sneirr I just went there last week to see if I could transfer there for the classics master. But decided to stay in Utrecht. Nijmegen is my home town. (Or actually a small village close to it) What a small world 😉 8y
sneirr @I-read-and-eat indeed! So funny since I come from Utrecht! 8y
32 likes1 stack add12 comments