Death in the Middle Ages: Mortality, Judgment, and Remembrance

by Thomas Sherrer Ross Boase

Medieval man thought about death a great deal and his/her way of life and values were influenced by it. The author covers deaths by battle, execution, and the plague. He follows with burial customs. Many illustrations are given of exquisite tombs, monuments and chapels that remain as silent witness to the lavish ceremonies and pagentry prevalent in the late Middle Ages.

Genres: History, Medieval, Nonfiction, Reference, Death

144 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1972

Reviews

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book needs to be supplemented by a fine book on the Plague such as Ziegler's or Aries' fine social history of Death; but unlike the other reviewer, I find nothing disappointing in this book per se. The illustrations and text are excellent complements to each other, Boase's text serving to support the illustrations and place them into context.

All too often in this studies of this kind, we are offered a few small, dim illustrations alongside acres of dry text that attempts to describe them. Here, the author respects the expressive value of the illustrations themselves, and relies upon the written word to trace iconographic and other common (or deviated) themes in the art from this period.

The book was originally one portion of the book THE FLOWERING OF THE MIDDLE AGES, a huge, gorgeous compilation of illustrations and thematic essays edited by Joan Evans ans Christopher Brooks for Thames & Hudson (McGraw Hill in the US) in 1966. The entire volume has been reissued at least once.

Jim

[James Sinks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brief and necessarily superficial, but informative and enjoyable.

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great illustrations but that’s about it, very superficial

[JGB · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great overview & starting point.

[Ben · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great illustrations, but not a great deal of substance on medieval attitudes towards and conceptions of death.