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A Medieval Family: The Pastons of Fifteenth-Century England
Alternative cover edition of ISBN 9780060930554
The fascinating story of the fortunes of one medieval family over the course of a century, from bestselling historians Frances and Joseph Gies The Pastons were members of the English gentry—a tiny group of roughly 1,000 households sandwiched between the ruling nobility and the peasants, and a rough analog for the contemporary “middle class.” Their existence was fairly typical, but for the fact that it was recorded in an extraordinary collection of nearly 1,000 letters which have survived to this day. Through these letters, which cover the years from 1421 to 1484, and the lives of three generations of Pastons, bestselling historians Frances and Joseph Gies provide a rare window into the day-to-day life of this family, and the broader political and social goings-on of medieval England. A Medieval Family first tells the story of Judge William Paston (1378-1444), the patriarch of the family, a lawyer and judge who bought up land in Norfolk and left his son a sizeable estate, which was later forcibly seized by a neighboring baron. We then follow the family through its ups and downs over several generations, learning of their feuds with neighbors, the frequent instability of 15 th century England, and significant historical events, such as the Siege of Caister and the Battle of Barnet. There are also many letters of more personal significance, including a series of Valentines sent to John Paston III. The work of acclaimed historians Frances and Joseph Gies has been used by George R.R. Martin in his research for Game of Thrones . In A Medieval Family , they have woven a compelling intergenerational saga that is essential reading for anyone seeking insight into the medieval period. “The Gieses, who specialize in making the Middle Ages accessible to nonspecialists, have done a wonderful job of linking and amplifying the Pastons’ words.”– New Yorker
The fascinating story of the fortunes of one medieval family over the course of a century, from bestselling historians Frances and Joseph Gies The Pastons were members of the English gentry—a tiny group of roughly 1,000 households sandwiched between the ruling nobility and the peasants, and a rough analog for the contemporary “middle class.” Their existence was fairly typical, but for the fact that it was recorded in an extraordinary collection of nearly 1,000 letters which have survived to this day. Through these letters, which cover the years from 1421 to 1484, and the lives of three generations of Pastons, bestselling historians Frances and Joseph Gies provide a rare window into the day-to-day life of this family, and the broader political and social goings-on of medieval England. A Medieval Family first tells the story of Judge William Paston (1378-1444), the patriarch of the family, a lawyer and judge who bought up land in Norfolk and left his son a sizeable estate, which was later forcibly seized by a neighboring baron. We then follow the family through its ups and downs over several generations, learning of their feuds with neighbors, the frequent instability of 15 th century England, and significant historical events, such as the Siege of Caister and the Battle of Barnet. There are also many letters of more personal significance, including a series of Valentines sent to John Paston III. The work of acclaimed historians Frances and Joseph Gies has been used by George R.R. Martin in his research for Game of Thrones . In A Medieval Family , they have woven a compelling intergenerational saga that is essential reading for anyone seeking insight into the medieval period. “The Gieses, who specialize in making the Middle Ages accessible to nonspecialists, have done a wonderful job of linking and amplifying the Pastons’ words.”– New Yorker
432 pages, Paperback
Published August 14, 2018
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About the author
Joseph Gies
37 books41 followersJoseph Gies and his wife Frances were historians and writers. They both collaborated on a number of books about the Middle Ages, and each also wrote individual works. Joseph Gies graduated from the University of Michigan in 1939.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
December 3, 2022
This book reminded me of the superb book "A Distant Mirror" by Barbara Tuchman. Both books looked at a period of history through the eyes of a contemporary family. However, Tuchman's magisterial work covered the noble de Coucy's of France, while Gies chooses a middling gentry family (the Pastons of England). While Tuchman focused on the 1200's into the 1300's, Gies' covers 1421-1484.
This is important, in that those who loved Tuchman's work may find this book slightly underwhelming. This is not the fault of the authors but of the family. Not surprisingly the affairs of a middling gentry family (Paston) compared to a great noble house (de Coucy) seem rather pedestrian and underwhelming. To a certain extent, this is absolutely true.
But the reason this is such an interesting book is due to the huge amount of letters that exist for this family and their affairs. These "Paston Letters", numbering into the thousands, were preserved nearly in entirety. This gives us a bird's eye view of daily life during the 1400's. The affairs of the Pastons are typical of the gentry of the time. Matters such as real estate, inheritance, marriage and finance are the typical norm. The Pastons are caught up in the conflict of the War of the Roses and their fortunes ebb and flow with the conflict.
While not nearly as exciting, nor as well written, as Tuchman's work, this is still a very interesting book. The well preserved letters are a window into the lives of the gentry during the 1400s. While the Pastons lack the glamour of the de Coucys, they may be more relatable to the people of today.
A good book for those looking to see what life was like, for the gentry, during the period of the 1400s.
This is important, in that those who loved Tuchman's work may find this book slightly underwhelming. This is not the fault of the authors but of the family. Not surprisingly the affairs of a middling gentry family (Paston) compared to a great noble house (de Coucy) seem rather pedestrian and underwhelming. To a certain extent, this is absolutely true.
But the reason this is such an interesting book is due to the huge amount of letters that exist for this family and their affairs. These "Paston Letters", numbering into the thousands, were preserved nearly in entirety. This gives us a bird's eye view of daily life during the 1400's. The affairs of the Pastons are typical of the gentry of the time. Matters such as real estate, inheritance, marriage and finance are the typical norm. The Pastons are caught up in the conflict of the War of the Roses and their fortunes ebb and flow with the conflict.
While not nearly as exciting, nor as well written, as Tuchman's work, this is still a very interesting book. The well preserved letters are a window into the lives of the gentry during the 1400s. While the Pastons lack the glamour of the de Coucys, they may be more relatable to the people of today.
A good book for those looking to see what life was like, for the gentry, during the period of the 1400s.
October 5, 2022
As described by the authors: "The Paston Letters, written by a fifteenth-century family of the Norfolk landed gentry, their friends, and their associates, comprise more than a thousand letters and documents. Dealing with family and domestic problems, litigation and business affairs, they have no literary pretentions and only peripheral political significance. Their value to historians lies in the family's very ordinariness and the letters' consequent wealth of information about manners, morals, lifestyle, and attitudes in the late Middle Ages. Their existence itself reflects the increasing literacy of the gentry, as well as the troubled times that separated family members and imposed written communication."
Reading 350 pages worth of 4 family members' letters to each other (John, Margaret, their eldest sons, John and John--yes, at one point three otherwise indistinguishable John Pastons were galivanting around England) can be interesting. I learned some new words, like enfeoffed (under the feudal system) or brethel (worthless person). Falstaff was a real guy, apparently, named Sir John Fastolf. In life he was an overly-bold military commander and tight-fisted lord; in death he became something very different. Ideas about the time I'd vaguely had were reinforced, like how few possessions people actually had. Even just getting cloth was hard, so even gentry like the Pastons had only a handful of clothes. It's such a different world and mindset than the modern Western view of clothing as cheap and easy to get. Blood and family super mattered: the Pastons' claim to a castle is repeatedly attacked on the premise that at one point their ancestors were serfs. And the book emphasizes the vital importance of being in the service of, or in some way employed by, nobles of good standing. The letters were written during the Wars of the Roses, so the Pastons' lords fall in and out of favor as kings are variously deposed, flee, killed, or claim power, and this in turn makes all the difference to the Pastons' various claims to inheritance, castles, and lands. And...350 pages of those travails was probably about 200 too much. The first two chapters were the best, being summaries. After that it became almost a day-by-day account of the Pastons' law suits, requests for various fabrics, and complaints about money.
Reading 350 pages worth of 4 family members' letters to each other (John, Margaret, their eldest sons, John and John--yes, at one point three otherwise indistinguishable John Pastons were galivanting around England) can be interesting. I learned some new words, like enfeoffed (under the feudal system) or brethel (worthless person). Falstaff was a real guy, apparently, named Sir John Fastolf. In life he was an overly-bold military commander and tight-fisted lord; in death he became something very different. Ideas about the time I'd vaguely had were reinforced, like how few possessions people actually had. Even just getting cloth was hard, so even gentry like the Pastons had only a handful of clothes. It's such a different world and mindset than the modern Western view of clothing as cheap and easy to get. Blood and family super mattered: the Pastons' claim to a castle is repeatedly attacked on the premise that at one point their ancestors were serfs. And the book emphasizes the vital importance of being in the service of, or in some way employed by, nobles of good standing. The letters were written during the Wars of the Roses, so the Pastons' lords fall in and out of favor as kings are variously deposed, flee, killed, or claim power, and this in turn makes all the difference to the Pastons' various claims to inheritance, castles, and lands. And...350 pages of those travails was probably about 200 too much. The first two chapters were the best, being summaries. After that it became almost a day-by-day account of the Pastons' law suits, requests for various fabrics, and complaints about money.
January 10, 2023
This book -- a discussion and recounting of a family through several generations, through the window of their correspondence with each other, was a bit dry in places, but one of the things I like most about history is how humans have basically always been human, and it definitely presents a lot of that. I always appreciate knowing about those little details of humanity that are consistent, like sometimes forgetting to buy clothes (or send for them from home) until all theirs have holes in them and it's kind of a crisis, or wanting a prestigious career for your child but not wanting the child to rush into a career they won't like just because it's prestigious. This book is full of those kind of details, because it's about real people writing to each other, arguing about money (and how much is too much to spend while traveling with royalty), encouraging each other, criticizing each other, and often just saying "I miss you" or "I hate that you're sick so far from home."
The other thing I really appreciated about this book was the fact that it goes to the trouble of making the language quoted from the correspondence accessible and understandable while preserving many of the differences in language, which isn't that uncommon, but I've seen it done badly enough before that I want to remark on the quality of it here; I appreciated the opportunity to learn how much some English words have changed meanings.
The other thing I really appreciated about this book was the fact that it goes to the trouble of making the language quoted from the correspondence accessible and understandable while preserving many of the differences in language, which isn't that uncommon, but I've seen it done badly enough before that I want to remark on the quality of it here; I appreciated the opportunity to learn how much some English words have changed meanings.
March 20, 2020
Muszę z żalem przyznać, że jest to pierwsza pozycja z serii, która raczej mnie rozczarowała. Nie samą zawartością, ponieważ ta – jak wspomniałam - jest w pełni merytoryczna i poparta materiałem źródłowym, a wprowadzeniem w błąd przez tytuł i opis, po których można oczekiwać nieco innego rodzaju lektury. Jeśli szukacie ogólnych informacji na temat życia rodzinnego w wiekach średnich, raczej ich tu nie znajdziecie. Jeśli jednak fascynuje Was życie średniowiecznej angielskiej szlachty, lektura powinna Was usatysfakcjonować.
Cała opinia:
http://www.kacikzksiazka.pl/2020/03/z...
Cała opinia:
http://www.kacikzksiazka.pl/2020/03/z...
May 28, 2011
I've come to prefer social history to "big events". This is an account of the fortunes of a newly-prosperous family, who had made their fortunes as lawyers, drawn from an unusually complete collection of their correspondence. The correspondence deals with many matters of money and litigation. They were not unusually litigious for their times; it was just a difficult century. Several letter-writers emphasized that it was necessary to be well-versed in law, besides having powerful friends, in order to protect one’s fortune.
It sounds like it was a wild time to be a lawyer: not that there weren’t legal procedures in place, but the problem was enforcing them. Wills, contracts, judgments, and arbitrations could stipulate money to be paid and actions to be taken, but whether these were carried out was quite another matter. Standard procedure when disputing possession of a manor was for the party who was stronger in arms to forcibly take over the place, while litigation was ongoing. And securing judgments in the courts depended very heavily on alliances and money, with bribes flowing freely and machinations to get the disposal of one’s affairs in the hands of someone well-inclined.
Another matter that receives some discussion is marriage negotiations and kinship relations. All these things are gone into just enough to elucidate the Pastons' affairs, as are historical and national matters that the Pastons played tangential roles in. We also get some information on how they spent their money, at least as far as clothes and luxury goods that they had to order sent up from London.
The introduction says, the letters "amount to a sort of nonfiction historical novel". I don’t know if I can quite agree with that: although there are occasional striking details, the outline of events is too sketchy for a novel, and more importantly, the personalities of the people involved remain mostly unknown. The letter writers seem to have stuck to a brief, businesslike tone more often than not, though some individuals were chattier. It is difficult to keep track of the enormous number of people mentioned other than the few main members of the Paston family.
A more important criticism lies in the superficial nature of the narration. The Gieses are writers rather than research historians, and the second-hand nature of any analysis they quote shows through. There are many books about the Pastons, and I don’t think this one is essential. Nonetheless, it’s well and clearly written, and enjoyable to read.
It sounds like it was a wild time to be a lawyer: not that there weren’t legal procedures in place, but the problem was enforcing them. Wills, contracts, judgments, and arbitrations could stipulate money to be paid and actions to be taken, but whether these were carried out was quite another matter. Standard procedure when disputing possession of a manor was for the party who was stronger in arms to forcibly take over the place, while litigation was ongoing. And securing judgments in the courts depended very heavily on alliances and money, with bribes flowing freely and machinations to get the disposal of one’s affairs in the hands of someone well-inclined.
Another matter that receives some discussion is marriage negotiations and kinship relations. All these things are gone into just enough to elucidate the Pastons' affairs, as are historical and national matters that the Pastons played tangential roles in. We also get some information on how they spent their money, at least as far as clothes and luxury goods that they had to order sent up from London.
The introduction says, the letters "amount to a sort of nonfiction historical novel". I don’t know if I can quite agree with that: although there are occasional striking details, the outline of events is too sketchy for a novel, and more importantly, the personalities of the people involved remain mostly unknown. The letter writers seem to have stuck to a brief, businesslike tone more often than not, though some individuals were chattier. It is difficult to keep track of the enormous number of people mentioned other than the few main members of the Paston family.
A more important criticism lies in the superficial nature of the narration. The Gieses are writers rather than research historians, and the second-hand nature of any analysis they quote shows through. There are many books about the Pastons, and I don’t think this one is essential. Nonetheless, it’s well and clearly written, and enjoyable to read.
May 13, 2018
I expected something different when I picked up this book. I expected a more in-depth picture of the daily life of a genteel family in 15th century England, but this was more of a window into the life of one family. There were a lot of names and a lot of estates to remember, but the principal ones stood out and were quite memorable characters.
The principal characters of Margaret, her two oldest sons, her husband, and her daughter were quirky, three-dimensional, and fun to read about. After all, they were real people, so of course they had ever-evolving motivations, desires, and fears. The other people that they sometimes allied themselves with and sometimes fought against were harder to remember.
In between all the names, there were fun tidbits about daily life (ex: the worth of various coins), and then there were some dramatic instances that made for intense reading! There was the time John Paston Sr. was accosted at knifepoint! There was the time Margaret was carried bodily out of a castle. There was the time Margery fell in love with the bailiff, and there was the time when Sir John Paston II ran away from from home!
It wasn't all mundane, and the juicy bits made it worth it. Anything written by Frances Gies is a staple in wanting to know more about daily medieval life, so I would recommend this even though it was sometimes slow and boring.
The principal characters of Margaret, her two oldest sons, her husband, and her daughter were quirky, three-dimensional, and fun to read about. After all, they were real people, so of course they had ever-evolving motivations, desires, and fears. The other people that they sometimes allied themselves with and sometimes fought against were harder to remember.
In between all the names, there were fun tidbits about daily life (ex: the worth of various coins), and then there were some dramatic instances that made for intense reading! There was the time John Paston Sr. was accosted at knifepoint! There was the time Margaret was carried bodily out of a castle. There was the time Margery fell in love with the bailiff, and there was the time when Sir John Paston II ran away from from home!
It wasn't all mundane, and the juicy bits made it worth it. Anything written by Frances Gies is a staple in wanting to know more about daily medieval life, so I would recommend this even though it was sometimes slow and boring.
August 12, 2020
First Gies book I've read that I ended up skimming through. The Pastons and their incomprehensible 15th century financial/inheritance battles just ain't my style. Bring a lawyer, indeed. Zzzzz.
December 18, 2024
Forget the Wild West. Late medieval England had the real action. From the Hundred Years' War through the Wars of the Roses, England was full of drama. Fortunately, the Paston family left a large cache of letters that give us an on-the-ground view of what it was like to live through the tumult (quotes from their letters form the backbone of this book).
By the early 15th century, the Pastons had risen to the rank of landed gentry (their origins were probably ordinary, though they later ginned up an account of noble ancestors to secure their property rights). They obtained extensive land holdings, often through questionable dealings (they weren't above buying out distressed widows at rock-bottom prices).
Holding onto their land was a more difficult matter. Land was wealth, so people would employ unscrupulous tactics to get it. And land transactions didn't have to be in writing. So maybe you can see where this is going? Just bribe some witnesses to testify that the property had been conveyed to you, then claim it.
It helped to have armed men at your side -- and many of the Pastons' adversaries did. Hence the letters (quoted in the book) from Paston family members advising their sons to buy body armor and poleaxes. The Pastons were involved in endless property disputes, both on the field and in court. Most of the family's sons were lawyers, as they needed to be.
The Pastons were mainly interested in getting richer, but couldn't avoid being pulled into the Wars of the Roses. Several male Pastons were knighted, and a descendant eventually became an earl.
But it's the women in the Paston family who really give an idea of what life was like. They often had to manage the estate while the men were fighting or litigating, so their letters are filled with details about food, clothing, tenant issues, and money concerns. Not to mention marriage negotiations. Because no Paston was going to marry unless the partner came with substantial wealth attached.
Highly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in medieval history.
By the early 15th century, the Pastons had risen to the rank of landed gentry (their origins were probably ordinary, though they later ginned up an account of noble ancestors to secure their property rights). They obtained extensive land holdings, often through questionable dealings (they weren't above buying out distressed widows at rock-bottom prices).
Holding onto their land was a more difficult matter. Land was wealth, so people would employ unscrupulous tactics to get it. And land transactions didn't have to be in writing. So maybe you can see where this is going? Just bribe some witnesses to testify that the property had been conveyed to you, then claim it.
It helped to have armed men at your side -- and many of the Pastons' adversaries did. Hence the letters (quoted in the book) from Paston family members advising their sons to buy body armor and poleaxes. The Pastons were involved in endless property disputes, both on the field and in court. Most of the family's sons were lawyers, as they needed to be.
The Pastons were mainly interested in getting richer, but couldn't avoid being pulled into the Wars of the Roses. Several male Pastons were knighted, and a descendant eventually became an earl.
But it's the women in the Paston family who really give an idea of what life was like. They often had to manage the estate while the men were fighting or litigating, so their letters are filled with details about food, clothing, tenant issues, and money concerns. Not to mention marriage negotiations. Because no Paston was going to marry unless the partner came with substantial wealth attached.
Highly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in medieval history.
September 8, 2025
Lisioł głową średniowiecznej rodziny?
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Lisioł stwierdził, że w ramach przygotowań do zabawy karnawałowej zostanie głową średniowiecznej rodziny. Otworzył sobie spis królewskich rodów. Nie, to jednak za trudne – wspomnienia z bycia cesarzową wciąż były żywe w lisiej głowie. Weźmy jednak coś łatwiejszego. Hmm Pastonowie, szlachcice ze wschodnio-północnej Anglii. To może być ciekawe. Lisioł wystroił się odpowiednio, wziął podręcznik ekonomii pod pachę i wyruszył w swoją podróż. Szybko przekonał się, że ów podręcznik to może sobie w kominku spalić. Co to za chaos? Co tutaj się właściwie dzieje? Jak to spór o ziemię, przecież zapisał w testamencie, aha, świadek ostatniej woli zmienił zdanie, świetnie. Coś jeszcze? Moja dwudziestoletnia córka nie umie wyjść za mąż, to znajdźcie jej męża! Wszyscy uciekają? Przecież wszystko z nią w porządku jest, nie znają się głupie chłopy, aaaa chodzi o mój majątek. Niech sobie sami jakiś wykopią, materialiści jedni! ale jak to oblegają mój dom! Gdzie żona? W tym domu? Świetnie. Zaraz Lisołkowi cegła spadnie na łeb w drewnianym domu . Już z guzem na głowie Lisioł biegał od jednego pożaru do drugiego, jak nie sprawa sądowa, to żona coś chce, a to dzieci, a to służba niezadowolona, a gdzie miejsce na książki i wino przed kominkiem? O nie! Lisioł nie da się tak zrobić! Lisioł odchodzi, kategorycznie i stanowczo odchodzi! Dokładniej to uciekł chyłkiem nocą, żeby żona go ze złości w garnku nie zamknęła, a wrogowie polityczni do celi nie wtrącili. Życie głowy średniowiecznej rodziny jest jednak bardzo passe. Wszyscy ciągle coś chcą, aż głowa od tego boli, ale jak chcecie poznać szczegóły tego wyzwania, to Lisioł gorąco zaprasza Was na randkę z książką "Życie średniowiecznej rodziny" autorstwa Frances i Joseph Gies.
.
Lisioł stwierdził, że w ramach przygotowań do zabawy karnawałowej zostanie głową średniowiecznej rodziny. Otworzył sobie spis królewskich rodów. Nie, to jednak za trudne – wspomnienia z bycia cesarzową wciąż były żywe w lisiej głowie. Weźmy jednak coś łatwiejszego. Hmm Pastonowie, szlachcice ze wschodnio-północnej Anglii. To może być ciekawe. Lisioł wystroił się odpowiednio, wziął podręcznik ekonomii pod pachę i wyruszył w swoją podróż. Szybko przekonał się, że ów podręcznik to może sobie w kominku spalić. Co to za chaos? Co tutaj się właściwie dzieje? Jak to spór o ziemię, przecież zapisał w testamencie, aha, świadek ostatniej woli zmienił zdanie, świetnie. Coś jeszcze? Moja dwudziestoletnia córka nie umie wyjść za mąż, to znajdźcie jej męża! Wszyscy uciekają? Przecież wszystko z nią w porządku jest, nie znają się głupie chłopy, aaaa chodzi o mój majątek. Niech sobie sami jakiś wykopią, materialiści jedni! ale jak to oblegają mój dom! Gdzie żona? W tym domu? Świetnie. Zaraz Lisołkowi cegła spadnie na łeb w drewnianym domu . Już z guzem na głowie Lisioł biegał od jednego pożaru do drugiego, jak nie sprawa sądowa, to żona coś chce, a to dzieci, a to służba niezadowolona, a gdzie miejsce na książki i wino przed kominkiem? O nie! Lisioł nie da się tak zrobić! Lisioł odchodzi, kategorycznie i stanowczo odchodzi! Dokładniej to uciekł chyłkiem nocą, żeby żona go ze złości w garnku nie zamknęła, a wrogowie polityczni do celi nie wtrącili. Życie głowy średniowiecznej rodziny jest jednak bardzo passe. Wszyscy ciągle coś chcą, aż głowa od tego boli, ale jak chcecie poznać szczegóły tego wyzwania, to Lisioł gorąco zaprasza Was na randkę z książką "Życie średniowiecznej rodziny" autorstwa Frances i Joseph Gies.
February 26, 2020
Książka jest doskonałym źródłem do badań genealogicznych dotyczących rodziny Pastonów. Nie jest to pozycja przekrojowa dotycząca życia średniowiecznej rodziny, ale wiele tu zawartych elementów z życia Pastonów są niezwykle interesujące. Wszystko opiera się na dokumentach, co czasem może być frustrujące, zwłaszcza gdy niektóre opowieści zostają potraktowane po macoszemu i za nic nie można znaleźć ich zakończenia. Niemniej znaleźć można w niej wiele emocji, bowiem członkowie rodziny Pastonów tak jak każdy człowiek potrafili kochać i nienawidzić, potępiać i wspierać, oszczędzać i być rozrzutnymi, szukać oparcia w patronach i szacować z tego zyski. Za sprawą narracji prowadzonej przez Frances i Josepha Gies'ów powstała niezwykle porywająca opowieść, dzięki której poznajemy losy trzech pokoleń rodziny Pastonów.
https://slowemmalowane.blogspot.com/2...
https://slowemmalowane.blogspot.com/2...
April 9, 2024
The Pastons of 15th Century England were gentry who are remembered today, not for monuments of stone and marble, but for paper. This family’s correspondence concerning marriage negotiations, household errands, and quarrels over who owned what estate, all being written as the War of the Roses was playing out, interest scholars today. I read it because I’m a descendant of one of the Paston daughters. Her husband, my ancestor, made the mistake of rebelling against Richard III and was beheaded on Tower Hill in London.
February 19, 2017
Not for everyone. This book traces three generations of an English family, who by today's standards, might be considered upper-middle class. Taking place during the reigns of Henry VI, who was a weak king, and Edward IV, whose reign was tumultuous, this family's survival is tracked through a series of their surviving letters.
April 1, 2024
Świetna książka !
Momentami trochę żmudna, ale bardzo wciągająca. Autorzy świetnie opisali i interpretowali sytuacje bohaterów występujących w tej książce.
Osobiście jestem ogromna fanka takich książek, więc napewno kupie kolejna część z tej serii.
Serdecznie polecam :)
Momentami trochę żmudna, ale bardzo wciągająca. Autorzy świetnie opisali i interpretowali sytuacje bohaterów występujących w tej książce.
Osobiście jestem ogromna fanka takich książek, więc napewno kupie kolejna część z tej serii.
Serdecznie polecam :)
May 4, 2025
As always, an informative work by these authors. I really like their books. This one was more difficult to read than others, hence 3 stars.i found the language of the letters and the negotiation of marriages fascinating. So different from today’s world.
December 11, 2025
A medieval family vicissitudes spanning decades painstakingly rebuilt through the paper trail of letters they left behind. A deeply interconnected read where focus is necessary to truly enjoy the spirit - sometimes humor and depth of information about medieval customs.
Read
April 9, 2021This was dense and carefully written. The look at medieval life was fascinating, well worth the effort for a thorough read.
December 19, 2022
Very interesting people.
January 8, 2023
Muszę zobaczyć yen zamek (a raczej jego ruiny) w Caister o który Pastonowie tak zacięcie walczyli przez 25 lat XD
May 12, 2024
A good and very fascinating read 😄💕
January 18, 2025
A valuable and accessible introduction to the Paston family and their remarkable collection of fifteenth century letters written in a clear and readable style.
January 16, 2013
A fascinating slice of gentry life in mediaeval Norfolk (UK, East Anglia). This is based on a collection of letters written by and/or to the Paston family throughout the 1400s, including a series covering the Wars of the Roses. Originally I'd expected the book to contain the text of all the letters themselves, and there are indeed a lot of quotes, and a number of photos of originals. Mainly though, this is a narrative description of the Paston family's business and family relationships, as told through their letters, using quotes and illustrations to underline the events happening around (and to) the family, during a period of serious upheaval in English history. It's very well written, and a very interesting read.
December 17, 2015
This book summarizes the life and times of the Paston family living (and thriving) through The War of the Roses. Not only was the throne up for grabs for the strongest contender, the houses and castles of the gentry were subject to raids, placed under siege and taken by force. This family left an extensive correspondence for posterity. Their concerns and struggles are documented in such detail that the reader can get a sense of what life was like. To keep your place in society, you needed to slap on your armor and suit up retainers. Holding onto property meant an endless string of lawsuits, and keeping armed retainers on hand.
July 11, 2010
The cover made the historian in me excited, but it was actually fairly boring. I was tempted to put it down and I almost never put books down. The middle section was slightly more interesting when you could get into the characters, but ultimately it was a tale of people suing each other, which according to this book was what the Middle Ages were all about.
June 9, 2012
This is not the Paston letters unabridged and in their entirety, but is a "translation" to clarify wording and archaic words. The author puts the Paston family's activities in the historic context of national and local events. The result is a rich account of the life of this family who lived in the turbulent time of the War of the Roses. Very good execution.
June 23, 2009
The Paston family, whose large collection of personal correspondence is the basis for this book, helps us see firsthand the lifestyle and attitudes of the Middle Ages. Although intriguing, the sheer volume of information makes this a heavy read. A college level text.
February 5, 2008
It would be so interesting to see the original documents that were used to compile this book. I am sure the details would be quite different from this version.
March 14, 2009
Interesting and fun book. Gives real insight into life in fifteenth century England. I didn't realize how litigatious they were!
Want to read
January 18, 2010Library
August 9, 2011
When you get transported in time to the 15th century, bring your lawyer.
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