Woodsmoke and Sage, The Five Senses 1485-1603: How the Tudors Experienced the World

by Amy Licence

Much has been written about the lives of the Tudors, but it is sometimes difficult to see their world through their eyes. Using the five senses, Amy Licence presents a new perspective on the material culture of the past, exploring the Tudors’ relationship with the fabric of their existence, from the clothes on their back, the roofs over their heads and the food on their tables, to the wider questions of how they interpreted and presented themselves, and their beliefs about life, death and beyond. This book helps recapture the past: what were the Tudors’ favourite perfumes? How did the weather affect their lives? What sounds from the past have been lost? Take a journey back 500 years, to experience the Tudor world as closely as possible, through sight, sound, smell, taste and touch.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Tudor Period, British Literature, Royalty, 16th Century

384 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2021

About the author

Medieval and Tudor historian, with a particular interest in women's lives and experiences, also dabble in Modernism. I write fiction and non-fiction, also journalism for The Guardian, BBC History website, The New Statesman, The Huffington Post, The English Review and The London Magazine. I appeared in TV documentaries "The Real White Queen and her Rivals" and "The Private Lives of the Tudors." Fellow of the Royal Historical Society.

Reviews

[Diane S ☔ · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very thorough look at what living during this time period entailed. Portraits, clothing, ceremonies, etiquette and so much more. My favorites were the smells that were everywhere, not only on the people, and the food. What people of different ranks were allowed to wear, what they were allowed to do based on status. Divided into specific chapters, it was well delineated, but sometimes too much. This would, however, make a fantastic resource for those studying this time or for those writing fiction set during this period.

One thing of note, I always thought Henry VIIIth was a bit of a slob, but in fact he was the opposite. Who knew?

ARC from Edelweiss.

[Tony Riches · Rating 5 out of 5]

With an inspired format, historian Amy Licence has found a way to offer a fresh look at the complex world of the Tudors.

Impeccably researched, this is a book you can open at any page and learn some new detail - or find your pre-conceived ideas about Tudor life challenged.

Using the five senses, the book is divided into sight, smell, sound, taste and touch, to make the reader really think about how these were the same as today - and different from what we now know.

I particularly like the way Amy Licence uses portraiture of the time to highlight tiny details. Much has been written about the symbolism of Tudor paintings, but we can learn as much from the 'props' used by the artists, the background, and even the textures of the clothing they wore.

This is a book to cherish, and would make the perfect gift for anyone with an interest in understanding what it was like to live in the world of the Tudors. Highly recommended.

[Juliew. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Based on the five senses of sight,hearing,smelling,tasting and touch this takes you through all of them with each chapter pertaining to one sense and exploring what that might have meant in the Tudor world.I thought it was well written,researched,detailed and very emersive.I especially loved the many paintings,drawings and photographs.If your a Tudor fan highly recommend.

[Janet Wertman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amy License knows her stuff - but this felt a little superficial. I couldn't help but be frustrated at times that she didn't pursue her topics more deeply and give us the WHYs that went along with the tidbits she shared. I didn't care so much about the details that could be found elsewhere (Leicester's "last letter" is not a great illustration of the concept that letter writing was important...) And I wasn't really looking for someone to describe portraits to me (well, the first one was interesting, the tenth much less so...). THAT SAID, I read books like this differently than most - I am always looking for wonderful details or insight that are completely new to me, and by this point, that's pretty rare. Also, I recently re-read Diane Ackerman's ah-mazing A Brief History of the Senses and so I was expecting (hoping for) something along those lines - which is not fair to this book. Bottom line: it's me, not her. If you're a Tudorphile, you will likely love this.

[KB · Rating 4 out of 5]

This definitely reminded me of The Time Traveller's Guide to Medieval England, although Living Like a Tudor comes across a bit more academic in tone. And I don't say that to put down the former and elevate the latter, it's merely an observation. If you're interested in the details and minutiae of what life was like during this period, this is an excellent resource.

Author Amy Licence divides the book into five sections: sight, smell, taste, touch, sound. These are further broken down into more manageable, and better organized, pieces. What did they wear, what kind of household items did the average person own, what smells were favoured, what spices were popular for cooking, what was imprisonment like? I think Licence did a good job of deliberately trying to diversify the examples she uses, but of course we'll always know more about the elite and nobility than the common man or family.

The Tudor period is not my area of reading - actually, I don't think I've ready anything about it at all. This was unfortunately a bit to my detriment. I think the author assumes much prior knowledge, especially when it comes to individuals. Many names - and the importance of such names - were lost on me. Of course I've heard of the more famous and notable people from this period, but I really don't know much about them. I also found the book to become increasingly tedious as I read. There's lots of lists here: detailing items of clothing or kitchenware that someone might own, or the prices paid for various fabrics. By the end my eyes were glossing over stuff like that. I also wish there were more pictures of the artwork described in the first part of the book.

But my issues with Living Like a Tudor certainly come from my own lack of knowledge of the Tudor period. If this timeframe is your thing, then I think you'd get a lot out of this book. I found it to mostly be a very enjoyable read nonetheless.

[Daniel Kukwa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll push this to 4.5 stars. As an enjoyable read, it can be a bit relentless in its coverage of so many topics. But as a research tool, this is first rate, straightforward, compact richness begging to be used in a history class.

[Sherri · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting way to traverse through the Tudor time period through the five senses. This will make your historical fiction come alive. Detailed descriptions and research to help understand the time period. I would have like a few more photos since there are two sections included or listed in the five sections so you didn't have to flip to them.

[Gilly · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 stars. This book contains interesting detail, yet doesn't flow as well as similar works by Ruth Goodman or Ian Mortimer. The largest section by far is devoted to the sense of sight, and the author spends a great deal of time describing portraits of royalty, upper and middle classes. (Don't get me wrong; it's fascinating to google the picture and follow along with her descriptions.) Disappointingly, the sense I'm most interested in, smell, gets only a few scant pages here, and I feel the author missed the mark on that one - especially considering the book's subtitle. Many of the quotes, examples and citations feel like "stubs"; she plunks them down but doesn't tell us why they're important. There are a few editing issues, too, and some repetition, but overall I did learn things about Tudor England that I didn't know before. You could try this one, or save your shillings and go for Goodman's "How to be a Tudor", or various titles by Mortimer, instead.

[Lucy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to travel through time? What would life really be like in Tudor England? What would everything look, taste, feel, smell, and sound like? This is exactly what the new book by Amy Licence explores.

Woodsmoke and Sage – The Five Senses 1485-1603: How the Tudors Experienced the World is presented in five parts; one for each of the five senses. As explained by Licence in the Introduction, a large portion of the book is dedicated to sight due to the amount of information available. The reader is immediately immersed into the highly visual Tudor world. From paintings and clothing, to buildings, rituals, and communication. I loved how Licence started the book by breaking down the symbolism of Tudor artworks and provided images of them that could be referred to while reading.

While not as long as the section on sight, the remaining four parts dedicated to smell, sound, taste and touch, were equally as immersive. From the frequency of bathing and the disposal of waste, to eating out, and the occurrence of violence, Licence explores it all.

Overall, I found that Woodsmoke and Sage creatively presented new information about the Tudor world. It was incredibly detailed so that the reader could almost smell the scents, taste the food, and reach out and touch the exquisite textiles. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more books by Amy Licence.

[G. Lawrence · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent, detailed and rich. An interesting avenue to explore the world of the Tudors

[Simon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Licence has produced what should probably be essential reading for academic Tudor surveys and historical novelists. She examines the Tudor world through our five senses, a novel approach, and by the end the reader has what feels like a pretty good visceral understanding of a vanished world. And it is gone. The Tudors were the dynastic bridge between the later Middle Ages and the early modern period. I suppose you could also call it Renaissance England, but it isn't until after Elizabeth's death that serious encroachments upon the royal prerogative begin. By most standards Edward IV was a Renaissance king, and you can make somewhat of an argument in that direction for Richard III. But it wasn't until reasonably late in the 16th century that enclosure becomes widespread, driving a steep rise in urban population by the end of it. Licence makes the point that pre-industrial England, especially its rural areas (i.e. most of it) would have seemed very quiet to us. But the cities are growing by 1603 and the country has begun its outward expansion. As I mentioned, most of this picks up steam under Elizabeth. By the end of her reign, the country that her grandfather won at Bosworth in 1485 has largely vanished.

Some chapters are more interesting than others, which is to be expected, but it is never boring.

Highly recommend.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a total Tudor-phile, I really appreciated the sensory experience that this book offered. Sense by sense, we get to know how a person lived through 15th and 16th century England, whether you were a peasant or royalty. The first topic was sight, where I got a better understanding of the importance of portraits, clothing, pomp and revelry, even correspondence. “The Tudors’ was a predominantly visual culture, from art and dress, to architecture and objects, spectacle and theatre, and the printed and written word. The look of things mattered in an aesthetic sense…” Next came the olfactory onslaught (not always entirely pleasant), the cacophony of people and animals, and the physical strain of labor or illness. There were some aspects of living during the dark ages that were somewhat tedious or dry, but that was life then. It wasn’t glamorous, even if you were Henry VIII or Elizabeth I. Paupers and nobles alike might find themselves hungry, imprisoned, stinky, or sick. The chapter about taste was a medieval Food Network including recipes. Even when it was slow, it was informative and immersive.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.

[Annie Schmid · Rating 5 out of 5]

The next best thing to time travel! I live for books like these, and this one in particular is such a powerful tool for a wide range of readers, from Tudor-era nerds, to historical drama authors, to someone who's just looking for a sensory immersion into another time gone by. Highlights of the book for me were: (1) the "Smell" section, which gave me an entirely new perspective on how closely humans were (consciously or subconsciously) physically in-tune with one another, and (2) the "Sound" section, where I gained both a renewed appreciation for the distant church bells I hear in my neighborhood, and (again) a new perspective on how time was perceived by those who came before me. I could keep going, but suffice to say anyone with an interest in history and the human experience should seriously consider checking this book out.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a treasure trove of historical details. That being said, it’s not sure what it is.

Set up as a walk through the senses of Tudor times, I assumed this was a non-academic, popular piece of history.

It’s not. It delves too deeply and with too many examples, but it doesn’t go into the *why* that would make this an academic resource.

If you are a Tudor-phile and skip all the examples, you’ll enjoy.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, I found this history that engages all of your senses to be delightful. It's a unique conceit that I haven't encountered before, and for the most part, it works. I especially enjoyed the sections on the sense of smell and the sense of touch. The section on sight was the longest, and there were a few places where the pacing lags. However, on the whole, I enjoyed this one.

[Staci Tyler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cannot recommend this book enough for Tudor lovers. Everything you’ve ever wanted to know is in there. You can see Tudor England, smell it, touch it. Makes reading Tudor fiction so much easier because you now know what things were like at the time.

[Vivien · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting and well-researched book. The author explores the lives of the Tudor years through the five senses. Hard to read in places as the author uses letters and papers from the Tudor era which are written in old English, which I found hard to understand.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd say 3.5 -- this one was really interesting in parts but also boring in parts. There was no cohesion, however. After a while it just felt like little anecdote after little anecdote. Would have preferred a bit more analysis, maybe?

[bird · Rating 5 out of 5]

this goes CRAZY. i wish a version of this book existed for every time period and location that have ever been. @ the negative reviews that are like "this might be TOO much information...." what's going on at your house

[Rosie Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so very interesting there was lots of things I didn’t no about the Tudors

[C · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought the strongest section was Sight, and enjoyed the details of Hans Holbein and other painters works. The other senses were interesting too, but I primarily skimmed through them.

[Shelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great descriptions of life in Tudor England.

[Tabitha · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating and very well researched book, brings you into the Tudor Age in a very physical way and helps to give a greater understanding of the world they lived, loved and played in.

[Heidi Malagisi · Rating 5 out of 5]

When we study history, we tend to focus on specific dates, certain people, and the stories that transformed countries forever, no matter how much of an impact they made. What is difficult about studying history is understanding how they experienced life. What did they see? How did they communicate? What did they hear during a typical day? What smells wafted through the air? How did their view on how the body worked affected what they ate and how they cured their illnesses? In her latest nonfiction book,” Woodsmoke and Sage: The Five Senses 1485-1603: How the Tudors Experienced the World”, Amy Licence has taken on the challenge of explaining the Tudor world that they knew through their senses.

Licence breaks her book down into five sections, one for each sense. We begin with sight, since how the Tudors viewed themselves and their world was extremely important. We can walk through their world by taking a tour of their portraits, the architecture, and the landscapes that the average Tudor would find familiar. Of course, what the Tudors wore every day and the colors they chose impacted how others viewed them because the image was everything. The next step in our journey is exploring the sense of smell, from the odiferous to the more pleasant scents.

The sounds of musical instruments, news being called, and gossips tell their tales to anyone who would like to fill the air. On their dining tables, culinary experiments with meat and fish combined with odd spices would seem strange to travelers from the 21st century. The closer you got to someone who sat on the throne, the more extravagant the dishes were. Finally, we explore how the Tudors understood how their body worked through the Humours Theory and how they used this theory to concoct cures.

Even though the Tudors lived over 500 years ago, they saw their world similarly to how we view it. They had homes and clothing to show how well off they were compared to others. They had different scents that they enjoyed compared to us. Their music and how they understood their bodies might be different from what we are used to, yet they still tried to enjoy life and live no matter what. The Tudors were humans like us trying to get through life day by day in their unique ways.

When I heard about the concept for this book, I was not sure how Licence would take on such an ambitious idea and what the result would be. However, Licence proved that this was a brilliant idea for a book. It is truly a treasure trove of Tudor trivia that historians, historical fiction authors, and Tudor nerds would all enjoy. If you want a new and exciting book about the Tudors that freshly explores their world, you should check out “Woodsmoke and Sage: The Five Senses 1485-1603: How the Tudors Experienced the World” by Amy Licence.

[Maura Heaphy Dutton · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very disappointing: a poorly developed treatment of what should have been a fascinating topic.

There is no faulting Amy Licence for her research: page after page, she lists ... everything. Everything and, quite literally, the kitchen sink. Pictures, possessions, and people, events, occasions and theatricals, humble and grand, building and landscapes -- anything visual that offers a glimpse of the Tudor world. (I gave up toward the end of the section on Sight.) But there's the problem, in my opinion -- it's just a list, a fairly random list of "things you see," presented without the context or analysis that would enable the reader to understand exactly how a Tudor-era individual would have seen something different from what we see today.

Licence describes a woman's portrait, which depicts her heavily pregnant. Is this the image of a frightened girl, facing the very real possibility of dying in childbirth, and looking to leave one last memento of herself for her family? Or is it a triumphant commemoration of the fact that she has fulfilled her Heavenly ordained destiny as a woman? Or ... is it just a picture? Could it be one of the above for one woman, and something completely different for another ...? Dunno, because Licence doesn't seem to be able to make up her mind either -- she just tells us about a long list of pictures, as if they all fit neatly into a box labelled of Pregnant Tudor Girls ...

Licence's thesis is right there in the subtitle -- "how the Tudors experienced the world" -- but the best that she seems to be able to do with the overwhelming weight of evidence that she plods through, is to say "For the Tudors, life was an intensely physical experience ..." Umm, yeah -- you mean, no different from the lives of every person who has ever lived? Great, thanks for that.

I wanted fewer examples, and greater insight into a few well-chosen examples that would, as promised, help me to see, hear, smell, taste and feel the world as a Tudor individual would have done.

[Kara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Looking at the Tudor age through the lens of the five senses, - reveals a much more complete picture of the time period. Focusing on ideas of what a person can touch, taste, smell, see, hear both makes the time period highly relatable as well as showing how foreign the past can be.

This books dives into overlooked details of the era, of the everyday experience of people at all levels of society.

This is an angle of history that needs more attention. After all, your average person in any time or place spends more time interacting with food, clothing, and toiletries and participating in conversations than being involved with things like treaties, battle plans, religious declarations and other macro-geopolitical events.

[Glo Sollecito · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very interesting premise and well researched. Some sections were more interesting than others. It would’ve been 5 stars if the writing was a bit more engaging. At times it reads like an inventory or textbook but I appreciate the information in this thorough investigation.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It was a real close look at the everyday lives of those living in Elizabethean England. The descriptions were detailed and totally imersive.