Daily Life in the Middle Ages

by Paul B. Newman

Although life in the Middle Ages was not as comfortable and safe as it is for most people in industrialized countries today, the term "Dark Ages" is highly misleading. The era was not so primitive and crude as depictions in film and literature would suggest. Even during the worst years of the centuries immediately following the fall of Rome, the legacy of that civilization survived. This book covers diet, cooking, housing, building, clothing, hygiene, games and other pastimes, fighting and healing in medieval times. The reader will find numerous misperceptions corrected. The book also includes a comprehensive bibliography and a listing of collections of medieval art and artifacts and related sites across the United States and Canada so that readers in North America can see for themselves some of the matters discussed in the book. Instructors considering this book for use in a course may .

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Medieval, Medieval History, Research, European History, Historical

301 pages, Paperback

First published February 15, 2001

Reviews

[Lewis Book Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a perfect resource for anyone seeking information about the middle ages. All topics pertaining to daily life are covered in detail, making a very informative read. The consistent, predictable organization of this book makes it easy to find any information you need quickly. Pictures are used throughout to help illustrated what the author describes. All aspects are covered, including ones that are often overlooks, such as food, cleaning, healing, relaxing, and playing. Even more information can be found in the other books of this series.

[Peter Herrmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very well researched, very readable book. The author has also included photos and illustrations (many of which he drew himself [and which are quite good]). I started reading it, like any other book, but it soon became somewhat like reading an encyclopedia, so switched to skimming instead. It would be a great reference book - for somebody with professional or academic interest in that area - and has both a very good index and good bibliography. Although, because it is also so readable, some people might indeed just wish to read it from cover to cover. The author gets into the nitty gritty of almost every aspect of life: clothing, furniture, food acquisition and preparation, art, mental health, building materials, etc, etc, ad infinitum. Nothing omitted (that I can think of).

[Ogre · Rating 3 out of 5]

Paul Newman knows his stuff...but god, he comes across as so pompous. He constantly "corrects" scholars whom he doesn't name, simply faceless and nameless "theys" whom he corrects, sometimes without giving any alternatives or actual corrections beyond "this is wrong". He also becomes very dry and pedantic when he stops discussing life and starts describing fashion and arms and armor. I'd recommend this book for anyone seeking a good basis in medieval lifestyle, but I'd not recommend it for anyone seeking entertainment or a fun read. And be ready to feel attacked by a book.

[Michal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very informative and seems comprehensive. I especially liked the Food and clothing sections... felt they gave me the most new information. At times somewhat lengthy and even a bit tiresome, but if you're just looking for some specific information about the middle ages it's a very good place to start.

[Abbas · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting book on the life in the middle ages, however it lacks some illustrations so people who are somewhat vague on the concept of middle age life might find it obscure in some areas. Some chapters are packed with exciting information while others are bland and dull

[Stephen Selbst · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was a disappointment. I'm fascinated by the medieval era, but this book was pitched at the level of a badly-written high school text, full of generalizations and inappropriate cliches and asides.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book for anyone interested in an introduction to daily life in medieval times. I recommend this book for people who want to write historical fiction or medieval-inspired high fantasy.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Incredibly informative. It would be a great resource for a novelist writing of the middle ages but it’s also a fascinating look at medieval life for anyone interested in the time period. It’s remarkable how similar but also how different the lives of people who lived centuries ago could be to our own modern world.

The chapters on food, clothing, cleaning, relaxing and playing, and healing were my favorites. Buildings and fighting wound up a little on the dry and dull side for me at times. For whatever reason, I find the ingredients of bread far more interesting than the materials used to build a house. Perhaps because I eat bread but I don’t build houses. But these chapters weren’t completely uninteresting - the section on interior decorating, for example, was much more engaging.

It’s a little bit on the pricey side compared to similar books like Time Traveller’s Guide to Medieval England or Terry Jones’ Medieval Lives but I managed to grab it on sale in the Kindle store for only $3.99. Superb deal! But those who missed it might want to check out one of the less expensive options, particularly if you’re reading just for pleasure.

[Maggie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not quite the right title for this book (I don't think); it does go in to a LOT of amazing detail about a variety of topics (and sometimes over-detailed and repetitive to the point of being laborious, in the case of the chapter on fighting), but does not paint a picture of what your average serf on the street was doing day in-day out.

I would have liked to see more information on things like festivals, feast days, carnivals, as well as life on a pilgrimage, in a war party, and as a journeyman/woman, to give a few examples. I do understand the constraints of what is left for us in the written and physical historical record though, and this book is a great resource. I think this book could have also made more use of drawings and illustrations, especially when describing the parts of the plate armor and physician's tools.

I recommend it to anyone interested in the middle ages or looking to do some research on topics of medieval life. My favorite chapters were the ones on healing and clothing. I also liked the building and architecture chapters.

[Steven · Rating 5 out of 5]

Daily Life in the Middle Ages by Paul B. Newman is one of the best resources to own for the student of medieval history. Written with clear and easy to understand text, Daily Life in the Middle Ages covers all aspects of daily life in the medieval period (focusing primarily on medieval Europe), including: eating and cooking, building and housing, clothing and dressing, cleaning, relaxing and playing, fighting (weapons and armor), and medicine. This resource gives a broad sweep of the medieval period, thoroughly covering and detailing the progressions of society throughout the centuries. For example, Newman shows how clothing changed from the early to late Middle Ages and how weapons and armor evolved. He also provides photos and period art to help the reader better visualize these topics.

This book is a great starting point for beginning research on the medieval period. I have used it extensively as a reference when writing my novel.

[Kelsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was mainly interested in the day-to-day realities of life during the Middle Ages, the ordinary aspects of living that typically get lost in discussions of larger political and cultural events during this period. Learning about the difficulties and solutions that Medieval Europeans developed in response to obtaining, preparing, and preserving food, making clothing, building homes, treating illness etc., made the Middle Ages feel (more) real.

It also made me really appreciate having a microwave.

The book is easy to read and informative, and is organized in a way that makes it easy to skip from chapter to chapter depending on what catches your interest.

[Teresa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Each subject is organized thoughtfully and presented in easily digestible scenes. The military sections are overly-large, I think. There are a few statements/inferences sprinkled throughout in the book I feel are insulting to women in general.

I don't recommend Daily Life... for pleasurable reading. This compact text is perfect for someone doing a report or presentation.

In a nutshell, the Middle Ages weren't much different than the 1800's. Because I read the Little House series (14 times) and dozens of historical fiction novels set in Europe, I knew most of the information presented here.

[Snh.]

The middle ages are often depicted as a dark time with very little emphasis on civilized society and considered a primitive time. This book depicts day-to-day lives as the people in middle ages lived. A well researched source, this book has been useful in terms of writing a research paper concerning the middle ages and the daily activities of the medieval era concerning eating habits, medical remedy’s, games and activities, hygiene, and clothing.

[K.D. Sinclair · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this books for research purposes and found it easy to read, very informative, and useful. It explains the daily life in the Middle Ages through subjects like food, clothes, construction, fighting, etc., and thus covering all kinds of aspects of life in the Middle Ages.

I’ll definitely recommend this book to all those who want to know more about the Middle Ages.

[Tom K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy to read and informative.

[Ayelet · Rating 3 out of 5]

I learned some interesting information but he spends a lot of time focusing on how the Middle Ages weren't like the stereotypes that exist. Also, the chapter on armor is really long.

[Nick]

This book is about what I expected. I'm not sure I understand the 2 and 3 star reviews. It's not meant to be entertaining.

[Thomas Bundy]

Dull.

[Carly Brownsberger]

Easy to read and super informative. Really painted a great picture of what it was like to live hundreds of years ago, from the mundane to the political to the religious.