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Mortimer's A to Zs of English History
From the bestselling author of the Time Traveller's Guides
In these sparkling A to Zs, time-travelling historian Ian Mortimer visits four classic periods of English history: the fourteenth century, the Elizabethan age, the Restoration and the Regency.
As he ranges from the Great Plague to the Great Freeze, from Armada to Austen, and from tobacco to toenails, he shines a light into corners of history we never knew were so fascinating -- or so revealing of the whole.
How did the button change life in the Middle Ages? If you found yourself at a smart Elizabethan party, should you kiss your hostess on the lips? Why were pistols safer than swords in a duel? And how come Regency Londoners quaffed so much port?
This is Mortimer at his accessible and witty best. As ever, his aim is not only to bring the past to life but also to illuminate our own times.
In these sparkling A to Zs, time-travelling historian Ian Mortimer visits four classic periods of English history: the fourteenth century, the Elizabethan age, the Restoration and the Regency.
As he ranges from the Great Plague to the Great Freeze, from Armada to Austen, and from tobacco to toenails, he shines a light into corners of history we never knew were so fascinating -- or so revealing of the whole.
How did the button change life in the Middle Ages? If you found yourself at a smart Elizabethan party, should you kiss your hostess on the lips? Why were pistols safer than swords in a duel? And how come Regency Londoners quaffed so much port?
This is Mortimer at his accessible and witty best. As ever, his aim is not only to bring the past to life but also to illuminate our own times.
320 pages, Hardcover
Published October 21, 2025
4 people are currently reading
42 people want to read
About the author
Ian Mortimer
40 books1,472 followersAKA James Forrester.
Dr Ian Mortimer is a historian and novelist, best known for his Time Traveller's Guides series. He has BA, MA, PhD and DLitt degrees from the University of Exeter and UCL. He is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, and was awarded the Alexander Prize by the Royal Historical Society in 2004. Home is the small Dartmoor town of Moretonhampstead, which he occasioanlly introduces in his books. His most recet book, 'Medieval Horizons' looks at how life changed between the eleventh and sixteenth centuries.
He also writes in other genres: his fourth novel 'The Outcasts of Time' won the 2018 Winston Graham Prize for historical fiction. His earlier trilogy of novels set in the 1560s were published under his middle names, James Forrester. In 2017 he wrote 'Why Running Matters' - a memoir of running in the year he turned fifty.
At present he is concentrating on writing history books that have experimental perspectives on the past. One example is a study of England as it would have appeared to the people living in his house over the last thousand years. This is provisionally entitled 'The History of England through the Windows of an Ordinary House'. It is due for completion in December 2024 and publication in 2026.
Dr Ian Mortimer is a historian and novelist, best known for his Time Traveller's Guides series. He has BA, MA, PhD and DLitt degrees from the University of Exeter and UCL. He is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, and was awarded the Alexander Prize by the Royal Historical Society in 2004. Home is the small Dartmoor town of Moretonhampstead, which he occasioanlly introduces in his books. His most recet book, 'Medieval Horizons' looks at how life changed between the eleventh and sixteenth centuries.
He also writes in other genres: his fourth novel 'The Outcasts of Time' won the 2018 Winston Graham Prize for historical fiction. His earlier trilogy of novels set in the 1560s were published under his middle names, James Forrester. In 2017 he wrote 'Why Running Matters' - a memoir of running in the year he turned fifty.
At present he is concentrating on writing history books that have experimental perspectives on the past. One example is a study of England as it would have appeared to the people living in his house over the last thousand years. This is provisionally entitled 'The History of England through the Windows of an Ordinary House'. It is due for completion in December 2024 and publication in 2026.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
December 13, 2025
Loved this book, one of my favourite authors!
January 6, 2026
Genuinely fun and interesting. Not by any stretch of the imagination an academic tome but one that opens ‘personal’ history of ordinary people and really moles one think. Impressive
February 23, 2026
I've been wanting to read some of Ian Mortimer's books for a while, and this felt like a good way to get a taste of his work before diving into his Time Traveller's Guides series.
I listened to the audiobook on Audible, which is narrated by the author, and I'm so glad I did! You can hear how invested he is in the subject, and the A-Z format comes across really well as audio - it feels like you're being guided through each time period by someone who knows them inside out - because he does!
The book is split into four periods - the Middle Ages, the Elizabethan Age, the Restoration, and the Regency - with each getting its own A-Z, before a final envoi where the author shares thoughts and reflections in another A-Z. Medieval history is very much my comfort zone, so I assumed that I would be most impressed by that, but I was actually pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the later periods too. Looking at several periods in one book makes it so much easier to explore beyond your usual historical comfort zone, so I appreciate that too.
What I liked most is how the author didn't just stick to well-known, big events for the A-Zs. Instead, he looked at everyday things like buttons, smoking, and kissing, alongside bigger things like religion and adultery. Doing it this way teaches you far more about social change, status, and the values of a certain period than a simple timeline of big events ever could.
Not only that, but there's humour sprinkled throughout too, which makes it is much more fun to read. We're not the only generations with a sense of humour, and the author is very good at reminding us of that too.
I flew through the audiobook for this just because I enjoyed it so much, but the format and structure makes it perfect for dipping in and out of too, so you can enjoy it at your own pace.
I think this is a great introduction to Ian's work, and I've already got one of his Time Traveller's Guides ready to go next.
I listened to the audiobook on Audible, which is narrated by the author, and I'm so glad I did! You can hear how invested he is in the subject, and the A-Z format comes across really well as audio - it feels like you're being guided through each time period by someone who knows them inside out - because he does!
The book is split into four periods - the Middle Ages, the Elizabethan Age, the Restoration, and the Regency - with each getting its own A-Z, before a final envoi where the author shares thoughts and reflections in another A-Z. Medieval history is very much my comfort zone, so I assumed that I would be most impressed by that, but I was actually pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the later periods too. Looking at several periods in one book makes it so much easier to explore beyond your usual historical comfort zone, so I appreciate that too.
What I liked most is how the author didn't just stick to well-known, big events for the A-Zs. Instead, he looked at everyday things like buttons, smoking, and kissing, alongside bigger things like religion and adultery. Doing it this way teaches you far more about social change, status, and the values of a certain period than a simple timeline of big events ever could.
Not only that, but there's humour sprinkled throughout too, which makes it is much more fun to read. We're not the only generations with a sense of humour, and the author is very good at reminding us of that too.
I flew through the audiobook for this just because I enjoyed it so much, but the format and structure makes it perfect for dipping in and out of too, so you can enjoy it at your own pace.
I think this is a great introduction to Ian's work, and I've already got one of his Time Traveller's Guides ready to go next.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews