A Brief History of Life in the Middle Ages

by Martyn Whittock

Martyn Whittock shines a light on the past, as he brings the Middle Ages vividly to life and allows readers to glimpse eleventh-century rural society. Topics include Roger "the Raker" who drowned in his own sewage, a "merman" imprisoned in Orford Castle, the sufferings of the Jews of Bristol, and more. Each reveals the extraordinary diversity of medieval society. Through these characters and events--and using the latest discoveries and research--the dynamic and engaging panorama of medieval England is revealed.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Medieval, Medieval History, British Literature, Historical, Reference

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

I graduated in Politics from Bristol University in 1980, where my degree special studies were in radical Christian politics and theology of the seventeenth century & also the development of the Soviet State.
I taught history for thirty-five years (as Head of History & Director of Humanities Faculty at a number of secondary schools in the UK). Latterly I was curriculum leader for Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural education at a secondary comprehensive school in the UK. During this time I developed an interest in early medieval history (especially Anglo-Saxons and Vikings), as well as continuing my interests in radical Christian millenarianism and also Soviet history.
I have acted as an historical consultant to the National Trust, the BBC and English Heritage. I am a Licensed Lay Minister, in the Church of England, with an active interest in theology.
I retired from teaching in 2016 to devote more time to writing, historical & political commenting & guest blogging.
I am the author or co-author of fifty-three books. These include school history textbooks and adult history books. The latter are written with the aim of making historical themes both engaging and accessible to adult readers.

Reviews

[Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting little history of life in the Middle Ages, in England mostly. It was a bit dry in places, but it was also quite fascinating in others. I think it might’ve come off better for me if I hadn’t read so many books on this subject already.

If you’re new to the subject of the Middle Ages and you like reading about the history of everyday life, I think you’ll enjoy this one quite a bit.

[Melisende · Rating 3 out of 5]

From the Anglo Saxons to the Tudors, Whittock takes us through the ever changing social, political, religious and economic history of England in an easy to read format that makes the ideal primer for the student and enthusiast alike.

[Shane Findlay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Biased yet surprisingly intriguing.

[Catherine Fitzsimmons · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don’t normally read nonfiction, but upon seeing this in the clearance section at my local bookstore, regarding a period of time of which I’m particularly fond, I decided to pick it up.

Before one looks into this book, I must stress that the book is not so much about the main title, but its subheading: “Scenes from the Towns and Countryside of Medieval England,” with focus on the last word. There is no information whatsoever as to the facets of life on mainland Europe, nor even really for Scotland or Ireland. Even so, I found the coverage of this book not as in depth as I would have liked, with the aspects of Medieval life that were covered feeling a little too separate from each other, without giving a good all-around view of how all these facets worked together. Also, I found this a difficult read as the writing was very dry, especially in the first few chapters.

It’s a decent introduction to the topic for those who already know a little about it, at least in absence of a better book, for which I’m open to suggestions. I wouldn’t really recommend this as a good starting place, though, and it’s certainly not expansive enough to extend the knowledge of someone already somewhat familiar with that era of history. More or less, if you can get past the dry writing, it can make a decent casual read for those interested in the subject, but I probably wouldn’t recommend it for much else.

[Deborah Pickstone · Rating 3 out of 5]

MW seems to be unable to keep from commenting from his modern sensibilities:

"What is really shocking is...." "Unbelievably....." "It is disturbing to note....."

Why? Was he really so surprised to find that Medieval chroniclers did not write PC? I find this very odd! He notes that many modern concerns and concepts were not a part of the mindset back then and is then surprised when they are not paid attention to. I remember reading a text when I studied Social Anthropology where the researcher was faced with her own prejudices when a child found it uproariously funny to make a blind man jump about in panic on being told there was a snake there when there was no snake. She thought it so cruel and later realised that her modern sensibilities were a luxury the African tribe involved didn't have.

Perhaps Mr Whittock should study Social Anthropology?

[Loretta · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really helpful book which is easily digestible.

[Matthías Ólafsson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hlutinn um Hróa Hött í samhengi við miðaldalöggjöf Englands var mjög áhugaverður og líka kaflinn um óvenjulega atburði og fólk.

[Dropbear123 · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5

Thought it was weak at the start as it front loaded the economics of the towns and countryside which I am not interested which put me off the reading the rest of the book. But once I got back to it got better with chapters on Christianity, health, culture/entertainment, law and order and women. But then it got a bit weak again towards the end with chapters on superstitions and the calendar (the big events of each year). Fairly academic and uninteresting writing style. Neutral view of the Middle Ages. Doesn’t glorify it but doesn’t present as awful universally grim.

[Emerson Stokes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Medieval England was a complex place. Although not always understood, a lot of things can change in 500 years! The Anglo-Saxon which had otherwise withstood rude intrusions from Scandinavia was rocked by the Norman conquest. Over time, the character of medieval society changed, though in their own ways in different parts of the English town and countryside. The 1300s shook medieval England, yet it remained steadfastly “medieval” until it was really shattered in the sixteenth century.

The author does a good job in covering many topics in a comparably short book. Brief in some places and long in the tooth in others (the 2nd last chapter on the Christian year felt like the last 100 steps in a marathon), the book is nevertheless a good summary of the social history of medieval England.

[G. Lawrence · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read, interesting, well written, entertaining and factual.

[Ailén · Rating 4 out of 5]

Muy claro y llevadero, abarca todos los aspectos esenciales de la vida cotidiana en la Edad Media, desde la nutrición y la dieta a la organización del tiempo litúrgico, pasando por el idioma, la ley, y la sexualidad.

[Joy Ashwell Callaway · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read. Definitely recommend if you’re interested in medieval history.

[Blair Hodgkinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This brief history packs a lot of facts into its exploration of life in the Middle Ages, ranging from linguistic and cultural through the religious. A lot of these points are commonly repeated in similar books, but I can think of a few that seemed exclusive to this book, so all credit to the author.

[Elia Princess of Starfall · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a huge fan of medieval history especially when it concerns England (which is greatly ironic as I'm Irish...). Its, IMHO, one of the most interesting and fascinating eras of history to be researched and written about in detail. So I went into this book hoping to get a general, well-researched and trustworthy discussion about how daily life in the medieval period functioned as a whole. I certainly wasn't disappointed!

'A Brief History Of' series are fantastic and thoughtful introductions to various complicated and relevant periods of history and in 'Life in the Middle Ages, the author provides us with a broad overview and careful analysis of different key aspects that so powerfully defined the Middle Ages; the strict social hierarchy of villain, manor lord, merchant, aristocrat and king, the cycles of the year, law, entertainment, medieval superstitions, the position of women and the rivalry between the towns and countryside. All are well-written, brimming with facts, insight and are not overly long. The section of the medieval cosmic order is all about how and why the people of the middle ages interpreted natural phenomena as signs of Gods wrath or as a sign of what was wrong with the natural order. Its incredibly enlightening but disturbing at the same time and provides an uneasy look into the medieval mind-set. The segment about the origins of modern surnames is particularly fact-worthy. The inclusion of footnotes and considerable bibliography gives this book credence and accuracy.



All in all this a brilliant and detailed introduction to life in the middle ages although it is not without its flaws. Even though the title says Life in the Middle Ages it focused almost entirely on medieval England so those with an interest beyond England should look elsewhere for info. Also, while I believe that this is well-written others may find this dry and slow-moving. Despite these very minor flaws, I would wholeheartedly recommend this book for those interested in learning more about life in medieval England and how the people really lived back in the past.

[Tedders · Rating 3 out of 5]

Whittock provides a nicely balanced overview of life from the 9th to the 16th century in England.

The only real complaint is that the pacing is somewhat uncomfortable. I found myself rereading certain paragraphs, and wondering why as none of the information required a degree to understand, but that it was not sinking in.

On a half joking note on page 153 Whittock credits without title (Dr., Prof.,) a certain gentleman by the name of Bruce Campbell... My head cannot not go there.... I'm still not 100% sure he wasn't talking about the actor.

[Luis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a must-read book, and not only for those who call the Middle Ages "the dark ages". The book provides a balanced account of everyday life at that time, and instead of any "dark", it shows an age with light and shades - just like ours, but without cars and microwave ovens. Very good read.

[Jerry Wall]

summary of life from 1066 to 1550 or so in England
elf-shot (diseases caused by elves) p. 22
medieval legal terms for unfree peasants still remain in modern English as negative descriptive terms: villain (from villein), churlish (from ceorl) and boorish (from gebur). p. 52
. . . the original aim of the parish tithe was to support the local parish priest, the local church and the poor . . . p. 78
essential sacraments listed p. 78
In the thirteenth and fourteenth century any schoolboy who received a tonsure as a mark of his literate status was technically a member of the clergy. * * * anyone accused of a crime could claim what was called 'benefit of clergy' if they were literate. p. 79
petty treason (e.g. a wife's murder of her husband) * * *
candidates for the priesthood should have no physical defects. p. 80
. . . (legal setup) was known as the Common Law because it applied across the whole country. p. 145
. . . misdemeanors, of in the Middle Ages trespasses. . . p. 145
more on law in Law and Order chapter p. 144 et seq.
. . . the age of ten, which is when children were regarded as having reached the age of criminal responsibility. p. 152
work-shy term in mid. ages for non workers. p. 155
'moral panic' over beggars is seen in the attempt, in 1547, by the Vagrancy Act to temporarily enslave beggars beggars as a way of forcing them to work. p. 156
tribium and quadrivium on p. 177
1476 first printing press in England - Wm. Caxton p. 179 [incunabula]
dining -- finally grace concluded the meal and a toast was drunk to close the proceedings. p. 183
sumptuary laws mid fourteenth century -- who could wear what. ---- buttons from around 1350 onward. p. 185
brothels (or stews) p. 205
'Nazirites', a Biblical term describing person set apart and consecrated to the Lord p. 207
a Fleming - Thos. Blanket -who founded the first recorded factory in Bristol and gave his name to this form of warm cloth. p. 209
descriptor 'outsiders' who were accused of taking English jobs. p. 209
. . . revenants walking dead. p. 231
hedged fields [to privatize and make exclusive land produced levellers (hedge levelled) p. 273
greater availability of books a revolution of the mind. p. 277

[Nicholas Zacharewicz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Despite being a svelte 278 pages (or, if you prefer, because it is a svelte 278 pages), this book is true to its cover’s promise of a “Brief History.” But how does Whittock condense more than seven centuries into so small a printed space? By breaking the sweater of history down into individual threads, of course. And so Whittock approaches the medieval period in England topic by topic (running the range from health and diet to law and order to the role of women).

At first I had my doubts about how interesting this approach was going to be. And I think those doubts were well-founded.

Whittock, in true historian fashion, starts with some of the most generic topics and then gradually moves into the more specific and interesting. Along the way some incidents or notions glittered for me. And this left me wondering just how deep that glittering goes.

But, as this is a summary, if you actually want to do that digging, you need to go elsewhere.

Whittock’s bibliography is, of course, a great place to start on that. Though there are probably better sources for many of these topics considering that this book was originally published in 2009. Nonetheless, as someone who is just trying to get a better grasp on life in the middle ages I think that the summary here is more than adequate and the questions it has left me with are all open doors through which even more books can come into my life.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good starting point for someone who has an overview of broader English history, but wants to know more about either the Middle Ages period or about the social history of the time, rather than the history of the rich/royal/famous/politically powerful people.

Each chapter focuses on a different aspect of societal history and Whittock does fairly well as remembering that the reader does not have the same knowledge base he does. He not only defines terminology, but also explains in various places why he is focused on a certain time period or refers the reader back to a previous chapter if it will help deepen the readers understanding when a later chapter touches on another aspect of the topic.

All in all, an informative & interesting read. Certainly, there are criticisms that could be made - a book would always be better. However, nothing that caused the book to be difficult to read or sent up red flags that the information was incorrect. There were some areas where the detail seemed a bit light, but that's not surprising when dealing with a time period so long ago & with a limited number of written sources. There's not a lot of diaries written by farmhands from the Middle Ages.

[Ivan Monckton · Rating 5 out of 5]

For years I have been asking for recommendations for books that tell us what mediaeval life was like for ordinary folk, rather than the great and the good, but none have been forthcoming. Last week I picked this book up on a visit to Stokesay Castle, and it is EXACTLY what I have been looking for for years!
Chapters on countryside, towns, religion, diet & health, women & family, law & order, language & culture, aliens & outcasts, signs & marvels, and the cycle of the year. Add an excellent introduction and a good summing up; the whole lot told by a history teacher whose love of the subject is a joy to behold.
There are still aspects of life not covered, warfare for instance, and specific questions I have always had (e.g. how did the shellfish whose debris litters castle sites arrive and stay fresh enough to eat?) but there is such a wealth of information gleaned from a host of sources, that, for the first time, I feel like I know a little about those only mentioned as an afterthought, if at all, in the thousands of books on the era.

[Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

General Overview
Dense at points, but with gems of great interest, I enjoyed getting through Martyn Whittock's A Brief History of Life in the Middle Ages, but not as much as I hoped too.

Style
Filled from cover to cover with detail about the middle ages, focusing from late Anglo-Saxon to the Tudors, this book was one I had a chew through. Mr Whittock is clearly a very capably historian, but I fear his depth of knowledge shared meant some of the readability of this piece was lost. Perfect for some, but as a layman historian at best myself, it was a bit too protein rich at points.

Substance
Jumping back and forth in time to focus on particular subjects of medieval life, this book is expansive in what it covers. Delving into the topics of art, civic structure, crime, and myth, it is a page turner when it gets going/you can wade through the academic detail.

Final Thoughts
A fine read, and one I wish I had clicked with more.

[Alan Driscoll · Rating 4 out of 5]

This would serve better as an introduction for a first-year history student than a work of popular history for the common reader; so much of it is devoted to the socioeconomic structure of the mediaeval community and how modern researchers infer conclusions from seemingly drab records. Still, it succeeds at that, even if it does less than I'd like to confirm or banish our popular images of the period.

[Kayla Tornello · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book describes life in the Middle Ages in England. It's an interesting topic, but I found my attention wandering at times. I think the information could have been organized a little better. I was also disappointed that there were no pictures included in this book. As a result, I would recommend this book for people who are very interested in history, but not a casual reader.

[Daniel Schuffert · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is an interesting read on how people lived during the middle ages. The book starts by defining what years made up the influence of the middle ages. This book is an easy read and kept my attention from beginning to the end of the book. I particularly like how the author explains the culture of the period and how it evolved.

[Gary Brumagin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Entertaining and fairly easy read that examines the daily lives of the commoner from the Middle Ages.I can't say that I really know that much about the Middle Ages, but I learned quite a bit from this book. I would recommend to anyone with an interest whether you well versed in the subject or just beginning to learn about it.

[Jack Hollingsworth · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Interesting book, that provides a lot of insight into medieval life. I read a lot of medieval history but this book goes into the more mundane aspects of the Middle Ages and I enjoyed expanding my knowledge in this easy to read book.

[Peter Warren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting read on the middle ages and how the people within them lived. There were some really interesting snippets in here but in some parts I found this book harder going. I guess it depends on which bits of culture you are interested in!

[Ralph · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is not the most engaging. Nevertheless, I enjoyed certain chapters, including the topics on towns, guilds and feudalism, and there was a lot of interesting information for someone with little knowledge of the middle ages.

[Bryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Covers every aspect of social history in little sections. Well researched with references, but an easy read. I read it to try and understand the life of my ancestors during this period and the book helped me.

[Miranda Mayo · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you can get through the first three chapters it's a really interesting read!