What do you think?
Rate this book
London, A Fourteenth-Century City and its People
A resource of information about the cultural, political and social conditions of urban life in the capital of medieval England during the 1300s.
For the medieval period that was witness to a legion of political and natural disasters, the rise and fall of empires across the globe and one of the most devastating and greatest pandemics human kind has ever experienced, the fourteenth century was transformative.
Peering through the looking-glass to focus on one of Europe’s largest medieval cities, and centre of an international melting pot on the global stage, this is a social history of England’s (in)famous capital and its multi-cultural residents in the first half of the fourteenth century.
Using a rich variety of important sources that provide first-hand accounts of everyday life and personal interactions between loved ones, friends, foreigners and foes alike, such as the Assize of Nuisance, Coroners’ Rolls, wills, household accounts, inquisitions post mortem and many more, this chronicle begins at the start of the fourteenth century and works its way up to the first mass outbreak of the Black Death at the end of the 1340s. It is a narrative that builds a vivid, multi-layered picture of London’s inhabitants who lived in one of the most turbulent and exciting periods in European history.
For the medieval period that was witness to a legion of political and natural disasters, the rise and fall of empires across the globe and one of the most devastating and greatest pandemics human kind has ever experienced, the fourteenth century was transformative.
Peering through the looking-glass to focus on one of Europe’s largest medieval cities, and centre of an international melting pot on the global stage, this is a social history of England’s (in)famous capital and its multi-cultural residents in the first half of the fourteenth century.
Using a rich variety of important sources that provide first-hand accounts of everyday life and personal interactions between loved ones, friends, foreigners and foes alike, such as the Assize of Nuisance, Coroners’ Rolls, wills, household accounts, inquisitions post mortem and many more, this chronicle begins at the start of the fourteenth century and works its way up to the first mass outbreak of the Black Death at the end of the 1340s. It is a narrative that builds a vivid, multi-layered picture of London’s inhabitants who lived in one of the most turbulent and exciting periods in European history.
- GenresHistoryNonfiction
316 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 11, 2022
77 people are currently reading
108 people want to read
About the author
Kathryn Warner
21 books181 followersI grew up in the north of England, and hold two degrees in medieval history and literature from the University of Manchester. I have run a blog about King Edward II (reigned 1307 to 1327) since 2005, have had work published about him in the prestigious academic journal the English Historical Review (founded 1886) and in the academic essay collection Fourteenth-Century England, and have appeared talking about him in the BBC documentary Quest for Bannockburn. I also appeared in a documentary about Edward II shown on the German-French TV channel Arte in late 2019, and have given a paper about him at the International Medieval Congress at the University of Leeds.
My first book, titled Edward II: The Unconventional King, was released in October 2014, and my biography of Edward II's queen Isabella of France (c. 1295-1358) was published in March 2016. My third book is an account of Edward's murder in 1327 or survival past that year, which came out in June 2017, and my fourth is a bio of Edward II's great-grandson Richard II, published October 2017. My fifth book, Blood Roses, came out in October 2018, and is an account of the royal houses of Lancaster and York from 1245 to 1399. My sixth was also published in October 2018 and is a biography of Edward II's malevolent favourite Hugh Despenser the Younger. My next two books came out in 2019: a travel guide to places in the UK associated with Edward II, called Following in the Footsteps of Edward II, and a biography of Edward III's queen Philippa of Hainault. A joint bio of Edward II's nieces Eleanor, Margaret and Elizabeth de Clare came out in February 2020, and a work of social history called Living in Medieval England: The Turbulent Year of 1326 was also published that year, A book about the Despenser family from 1261 to 1439 will come next, and a bio of Edward III's son/Henry IV's father John of Gaunt, second duke of Lancaster, is due out in 2021.
Projects I'm working on are: a joint bio of Edward II's five sisters; a joint bio of Edward III's granddaughters; a social history of London between 1300 and 1350; and a book about the medieval Beaumont family. And I'm sure there'll be plenty more after that!
My first book, titled Edward II: The Unconventional King, was released in October 2014, and my biography of Edward II's queen Isabella of France (c. 1295-1358) was published in March 2016. My third book is an account of Edward's murder in 1327 or survival past that year, which came out in June 2017, and my fourth is a bio of Edward II's great-grandson Richard II, published October 2017. My fifth book, Blood Roses, came out in October 2018, and is an account of the royal houses of Lancaster and York from 1245 to 1399. My sixth was also published in October 2018 and is a biography of Edward II's malevolent favourite Hugh Despenser the Younger. My next two books came out in 2019: a travel guide to places in the UK associated with Edward II, called Following in the Footsteps of Edward II, and a biography of Edward III's queen Philippa of Hainault. A joint bio of Edward II's nieces Eleanor, Margaret and Elizabeth de Clare came out in February 2020, and a work of social history called Living in Medieval England: The Turbulent Year of 1326 was also published that year, A book about the Despenser family from 1261 to 1439 will come next, and a bio of Edward III's son/Henry IV's father John of Gaunt, second duke of Lancaster, is due out in 2021.
Projects I'm working on are: a joint bio of Edward II's five sisters; a joint bio of Edward III's granddaughters; a social history of London between 1300 and 1350; and a book about the medieval Beaumont family. And I'm sure there'll be plenty more after that!
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
February 14, 2023
When I first opened this book, I gasped.
Could this possibly be the next book in the (all too short) genre of "feasts on obscure, surprising, and wonderful factoids calculated to please the antiquary"? Like Tuchman's "The Distant Mirror" or Fraser's "The Weaker Vessel"? Or Braudel's "The Mediterranean in the Age of Philip II"? Or Swiderkowna's "Hellenika"? (The last, as yet, unavailable in English)? Or... (for the true antiquaries among us) Pausanias? As in.. "the next book I will spend writhing with pleasure while reading"?
"William, rector of the church of Margarete of Lotheburi, on the boundary of Bradstrete and Colamanestrete wards evinced an insatiable curiosity about a disease called Le Lou."
I mean, how wrong can you go with this kind of opening?
Well, it turns out, you can.
How?
I am trying to understand this myself.
How do they -- Tuchman, Fraser, Braudel, Swiderkowna -- make their lists of factoids interesting while Kathryn Warner manages to come across as... pedantic? Are her lists too long? Too many facts, not enough analysis? Not enough structure? Not enough, as the French say, pwent? (with a nasal "ew")
Warner has read and digested a great deal of information, how we wish she had organized it into a compelling narrative. Or her editor helped her do it. I mean, how long can you go on listing all the rectors of all the churches who had had a weird predilection, whether they were of Italian or French extraction?
To make a compelling book, you must have a compelling narrative. Somehow. I don't know how. I can't write a book, much less edit it. But I also can't lay an egg yet know when an egg isn't wholesome. And this egg tastes like cardboard. It shouldn't. Warner's tremendous scholarship deserves better.
I mean, seriously. No one could accuse Peter Ackroyd of making much sense with his plot in "Clerkenwell Tales" but the chapter in which the heroes visit an eatery and are offered grub in Anglo-Norman-Saxon; or in which minstrels put on a passion play -- are all incredibly exciting. By comparison, this book just puts you to sleep.
It's not a bad book. It just doesn't work.
I will give it a three because I don't think it is a bad book. It isn't. But it isn't a compelling read. (As in, "Wake up, dude, wake up, you've got to read this thing now!")
Which is a pity. With her scholarship and talent, Warner could have given us a better book. Warner needs a good literary editor. We all do. We want to read her wonderful book **with pleasure**.
Also, the pdf format I received was extraordinarily difficult to navigate inside Adobe Digital Editions and the kindle version I received did not have a navigable table of contents and sported quite a few places with odd-ball characters (black rhomboids with question marks etc.) Editor! Wake up!
Could this possibly be the next book in the (all too short) genre of "feasts on obscure, surprising, and wonderful factoids calculated to please the antiquary"? Like Tuchman's "The Distant Mirror" or Fraser's "The Weaker Vessel"? Or Braudel's "The Mediterranean in the Age of Philip II"? Or Swiderkowna's "Hellenika"? (The last, as yet, unavailable in English)? Or... (for the true antiquaries among us) Pausanias? As in.. "the next book I will spend writhing with pleasure while reading"?
"William, rector of the church of Margarete of Lotheburi, on the boundary of Bradstrete and Colamanestrete wards evinced an insatiable curiosity about a disease called Le Lou."
I mean, how wrong can you go with this kind of opening?
Well, it turns out, you can.
How?
I am trying to understand this myself.
How do they -- Tuchman, Fraser, Braudel, Swiderkowna -- make their lists of factoids interesting while Kathryn Warner manages to come across as... pedantic? Are her lists too long? Too many facts, not enough analysis? Not enough structure? Not enough, as the French say, pwent? (with a nasal "ew")
Warner has read and digested a great deal of information, how we wish she had organized it into a compelling narrative. Or her editor helped her do it. I mean, how long can you go on listing all the rectors of all the churches who had had a weird predilection, whether they were of Italian or French extraction?
To make a compelling book, you must have a compelling narrative. Somehow. I don't know how. I can't write a book, much less edit it. But I also can't lay an egg yet know when an egg isn't wholesome. And this egg tastes like cardboard. It shouldn't. Warner's tremendous scholarship deserves better.
I mean, seriously. No one could accuse Peter Ackroyd of making much sense with his plot in "Clerkenwell Tales" but the chapter in which the heroes visit an eatery and are offered grub in Anglo-Norman-Saxon; or in which minstrels put on a passion play -- are all incredibly exciting. By comparison, this book just puts you to sleep.
It's not a bad book. It just doesn't work.
I will give it a three because I don't think it is a bad book. It isn't. But it isn't a compelling read. (As in, "Wake up, dude, wake up, you've got to read this thing now!")
Which is a pity. With her scholarship and talent, Warner could have given us a better book. Warner needs a good literary editor. We all do. We want to read her wonderful book **with pleasure**.
Also, the pdf format I received was extraordinarily difficult to navigate inside Adobe Digital Editions and the kindle version I received did not have a navigable table of contents and sported quite a few places with odd-ball characters (black rhomboids with question marks etc.) Editor! Wake up!
June 23, 2022
The city of London has been around for over two millennia, and with each passing century, it changes ever so slightly. From the Roman Londinium to medieval London, we see the city grow from a settlement of between 30,000 to 60,000 people to a bustling town of around 80,000 to 100,000 people. With growth comes changes to the city that would become the capital of England, and one of the most significant periods of transformation for the capital was during the fourteenth century. What was life like in fourteenth-century London for the average citizen of this sprawling city? Kathryn Warner attempts to answer this question in her latest nonfiction book, “London, A Fourteenth-Century City and its People.”
I want to thank Pen and Sword Books and NetGalley for sending me a copy of this book. I am always fascinated by learning about how people from different centuries lived their everyday lives, so when I heard about this title, it piqued my interest.
London was an international melting pot for Europe, so Warner used many stories to show the city's diversity. To narrow down the information used in this particular book, Warner explains to her audience that she would only use tales from the reigns of Edward I, Edward II, and Edward III. This book is broken down into bite-sized chapters exploring different aspects of London life, from government and religion to medical, housing, and marriage. This may sound like your average time traveler guidebook, so those of us living in the 21st century can understand the fourteenth century, but Warner gives this genre a bit of a twist.
Instead of focusing on the different aspects and what was considered normal for citizens to eat or wear, Warner looks at unique cases that correspond with the elements that defined fourteenth-century London. They give great insights into how deadly the time was and how the average London citizens dealt with the legal restrictions of everyday life. Every aspect of fourteenth-century life had consequences for those who broke the rules, from charging too much for a loaf of bread or a mug of ale to stealing clothes or building violations. We also get great insight into how women and children were treated, the darker aspects of life, and how they were approached.
The one issue I had with this book was that it showed the cases that were the exceptions to the rules instead of showing what the standards were. Although I am glad Warner included the information she did, like her glossary, nicknames, and the introduction of surnames, I did want more facts to make this book feel complete. I wanted to know what the typical fashion was like for Londoners and what they ate during a normal day. What did a typical day look like for someone who lived in London during the fourteenth century?
“London, A Fourteenth-Century City, and its People” by Kathryn Warner is a well-researched and captivating look into London’s past for those who love learning new facts about medieval Europe. If you like learning new factoids about medieval London, you will find this book rather entertaining.
I want to thank Pen and Sword Books and NetGalley for sending me a copy of this book. I am always fascinated by learning about how people from different centuries lived their everyday lives, so when I heard about this title, it piqued my interest.
London was an international melting pot for Europe, so Warner used many stories to show the city's diversity. To narrow down the information used in this particular book, Warner explains to her audience that she would only use tales from the reigns of Edward I, Edward II, and Edward III. This book is broken down into bite-sized chapters exploring different aspects of London life, from government and religion to medical, housing, and marriage. This may sound like your average time traveler guidebook, so those of us living in the 21st century can understand the fourteenth century, but Warner gives this genre a bit of a twist.
Instead of focusing on the different aspects and what was considered normal for citizens to eat or wear, Warner looks at unique cases that correspond with the elements that defined fourteenth-century London. They give great insights into how deadly the time was and how the average London citizens dealt with the legal restrictions of everyday life. Every aspect of fourteenth-century life had consequences for those who broke the rules, from charging too much for a loaf of bread or a mug of ale to stealing clothes or building violations. We also get great insight into how women and children were treated, the darker aspects of life, and how they were approached.
The one issue I had with this book was that it showed the cases that were the exceptions to the rules instead of showing what the standards were. Although I am glad Warner included the information she did, like her glossary, nicknames, and the introduction of surnames, I did want more facts to make this book feel complete. I wanted to know what the typical fashion was like for Londoners and what they ate during a normal day. What did a typical day look like for someone who lived in London during the fourteenth century?
“London, A Fourteenth-Century City, and its People” by Kathryn Warner is a well-researched and captivating look into London’s past for those who love learning new facts about medieval Europe. If you like learning new factoids about medieval London, you will find this book rather entertaining.
June 12, 2022
Kathryn Warner, London, A Fourteenth-Century City and its People, Pen & Sword, Pen & Sword History, June 2022.
Thank you, NetGalley and Pen & Sword for this uncorrected proof in exchange for an honest review.
Kathryn Warner has taken a fascinating topic and provided a wealth of information in her book of numerous short chapters. A copious amount of material augurs well for the value of the completed manuscript. There is a glossary, a brief introduction which includes a comparison with the present-day population, sources used, and descriptions of the appendices. There are informative end notes for this and each chapter. Graphics include an 1870 City of London Ward Map and various other visual explanatory material, historical and contemporary. Appendices provide information on fourteenth century given names/nicknames; London place names; mayors of London and abbreviations. There is a bibliography.
The glossary is particularly useful. Not only does it help clarify the meanings of the words to be encountered in the book, but it is a historical document as at times dates of early usage accompany explanations. There are sections on money, and the relevant kings of England are named. Chapters are short and provide a detailed account of fourteenth century population, health, other medical matters, foreign residents, wards, curfew, sanitation, privies, privacy, houses, hostels, hospitals, roads, trading, food, drink, drunkenness, misadventure, murder, theft, assault, disturbance, punishment, abjurers, defence, fire, children, women, families, names, adultery, belongings, fun, weather, mayors, sheriffs, misteries [sic], apprentices, religion, tower, bridge, rivers, pestilence.
Information is key to the enjoyment of this book. It lacks the charm of publications that employ language and a style that make the reader feel part of the developing scene, thus drawing them into, in this instance, fourteenth century London. For readers who want a source of knowledge about fourteenth century London that is accessible, full of information with supporting citations, this is a valuable contribution to that endeavour.
Thank you, NetGalley and Pen & Sword for this uncorrected proof in exchange for an honest review.
Kathryn Warner has taken a fascinating topic and provided a wealth of information in her book of numerous short chapters. A copious amount of material augurs well for the value of the completed manuscript. There is a glossary, a brief introduction which includes a comparison with the present-day population, sources used, and descriptions of the appendices. There are informative end notes for this and each chapter. Graphics include an 1870 City of London Ward Map and various other visual explanatory material, historical and contemporary. Appendices provide information on fourteenth century given names/nicknames; London place names; mayors of London and abbreviations. There is a bibliography.
The glossary is particularly useful. Not only does it help clarify the meanings of the words to be encountered in the book, but it is a historical document as at times dates of early usage accompany explanations. There are sections on money, and the relevant kings of England are named. Chapters are short and provide a detailed account of fourteenth century population, health, other medical matters, foreign residents, wards, curfew, sanitation, privies, privacy, houses, hostels, hospitals, roads, trading, food, drink, drunkenness, misadventure, murder, theft, assault, disturbance, punishment, abjurers, defence, fire, children, women, families, names, adultery, belongings, fun, weather, mayors, sheriffs, misteries [sic], apprentices, religion, tower, bridge, rivers, pestilence.
Information is key to the enjoyment of this book. It lacks the charm of publications that employ language and a style that make the reader feel part of the developing scene, thus drawing them into, in this instance, fourteenth century London. For readers who want a source of knowledge about fourteenth century London that is accessible, full of information with supporting citations, this is a valuable contribution to that endeavour.
June 3, 2022
From the way they talk, to the things they sued over an even the wages people got it seems like everything was so different in the 14th century in London. There were lawsuits over people blocking the light into their homes and even contracts that state it is unlawful to do so people were hung for stealing clothing and murdered for defending a woman. I love historical nonfiction in this book on London and the people in the 14th century was so interesting. I just know I will read it again and can’t wait to share it with my husband. The summary I gave isn’t it all in a nutshell there is much much more and all compelling it will make you shake your head in disbelief. What more can I say this book is very interesting and I highly recommend it to any history fan especially if like me you love British history. I was given this book by Net Gally but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any errors as I am blind and dictate my review but all opinions are definitely my own.
July 7, 2022
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me review this book. This book was an interesting read on London in the 1300s. It’s interesting to read about what people believed back then and took as fact. As to what people took as fact back then can be said the same in today’s society. People believe what they want to believe.
It wasn’t good to get sick back then either since getting sick could be fatal; even breaking a bone could mean death. It shows how far as a society we’ve come from what we believe to advances in medicine. I also found it interesting that hospitals back then weren’t what we know them as today.
It wasn’t good to get sick back then either since getting sick could be fatal; even breaking a bone could mean death. It shows how far as a society we’ve come from what we believe to advances in medicine. I also found it interesting that hospitals back then weren’t what we know them as today.
August 9, 2022
London was one of the largest cities in the world at the start of the fourteenth century and the lives of people were complex yet beset with the same issues as now. Here the author has used records to look at the lives of the people of this metropolis, what were the main issues and how their day to day existence happened. There are some wonderful tales here and some incredible insights in archaic law - how inanimate objects could be 'fined' for causing death. The research is fantastic and writing style incredibly accessible.
July 15, 2022
Another informative and compelling history book by Pen&Sword. It made me learn something new and I appreciated the style of writing and the style of writing.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
May 11, 2024
This book was well researched and full of
Pertinent facts. However they were not presented in an interesting way.
Pertinent facts. However they were not presented in an interesting way.
May 30, 2024
More a collection of loosely related gossip items, than a book for reading.
Not for me.
Not for me.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews