The Middle Ages (Jan - Mar 2026) > Likes and Comments
That's what wikipaedia also said about the Middle Ages, Em; 5th to 15th Century.. Should be fun.
I've been doing a little research on this already, and have found some great books.....Ten Centurys gives a lot of scope....
Ok I'm all set! I've lined up 3:Starting with
for the 12th Century. Then
which covers 1366-1396 and finally
which is set in 1414.
I have a few ideas for this one..
followed by
and may try
I'm looking at a few that I might choose from; Order in Chaos, The Adventures of Robin Hood: Complete and Unabridged or Sir Nigel: Boyhood of the Commander of the White Company. I think they all fit into the period covered..
Susan, I wad thinking of 'The Dream of Scipio' too (as I loved Ian Pear's other novel 'The Instance of the Fingerpost'). Although I will be starting with Karen Maitland's 'Company of Liars' (just as soon as it arrives from the library.....)
Liz wrote: "Susan, I wad thinking of 'The Dream of Scipio' too (as I loved Ian Pear's other novel 'The Instance of the Fingerpost'). Although I will be starting with Karen Maitland's 'Company of Liars' (just a..."I was going to recommend
for this period... The ending is a bit odd but it is a good read. Karen Maitland is really clever at building up an atmosphere and gives you a good insight into that time :) Similarly,
and
by the same author are worth a look too!I don't know where to start with this period - there are so many on my 'to read' pile... I have listed some ideas below so I'll start chipping away and see where I end up :) Looking forward to seeing what others are planning on reading too!
I'm really looking forward to starting a book for this period, some really good suggestions so far, I need to look through my bookshelves and scroll through my kindle to see what I already own...
Liz wrote: "Susan, I wad thinking of 'The Dream of Scipio' too (as I loved Ian Pear's other novel 'The Instance of the Fingerpost'). Although I will be starting with Karen Maitland's 'Company of Liars' (just a..."I loved An Instance of the Fingerpost too....I hope this one is as good....
I haven't read any Karen Maitland, but I'm certainly going to try one soon.
I enjoyed The Pillars of the Earth and World Without End....both very long but worth reading, but I absolutly loved People of the Book, I'm sure I've listed it as an all time favourite....
This time period is certainly providing some good reading....so much to choose from .
What about Richard II, the invisible king? Known as 'the beautiful boy' when he was crowned at the age of 10 now everybody seems to have forgotten him. On the throne for over 20 years. Not a warmonger. Not a wife killer. Is that too dull? I don't think so. He was murdered by his cousin, big bad Bolingbroke who then crowned himself king. Nasty piece of work. Poor Richard.
Just started The Ruby in Her Navel by Barry Unsworth which I have high hopes for, after being very impressed by my first book by this author which I read last year, Morality Play.
I am doing a cadfael challenge anyway. I also just recently read The Other Boleyn Girl Althought that last might be a bit late.
Finally had time to catch up with this challenge, by finishing my ancient times read and start on a novel set in the Crusades, Brethren by Robin Young (which also fits nicely as the 'B' of my A-Z challenge!)
I have had Morality Play on my book shelves for years and it is finally making its debut for this challenge.
I'm beginning with the dark ages and some Arthurian legend... Sir Gawain and the Green Knight by Simon Armitage.
I've just finished my first book for Middle Ages. The Virgin in the Ice That was my 6th Cadfael but isn't my favourite. Seemed a bit repetitious.
I read that one recently. I do like cadfael but they are quite formulaic.
Yes I agree. I've found that too, but enjoyable none the less. The Virgin in the Ice just seemed to be constantly losing people then finding them, then losing someone else and so on...But I love the characters and the setting and compared to some of the books I've read recently it was nice and easy to fly through!
I find the Cadfael's easy to read, you know what you are getting after the first and it is just trotting along following the clues and the mind of Caddfael and enjoying the journey. I have read them all a few times.There are a few issues with that one, someone pointed out the bandits camp which goes overlooked but seems to be huge plus a few other issues.
My second book is Katherine which I've just started. Doubling up with this one to get an S for A-Z challenge.
I enjoyed the Arthurian legend of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, I preferred reading the translation rather than struggling with medieval English - I haven't really attempted anything like that since reading Chaucer for A Level (and I made good use of Brodies notes then!)I want to read a couple more books from this period before September, I just can't decide which to choose! I thought I might try one of the War of the Roses series by Philippa Gregory for one.
Finished Why Alfred Burned the Cakes: A King and His Eleven-Hundred-Year Afterlife and wasn't that impressed. You have to have a real interest in that period of history to keep reading as the writing wasn't engaging at all.Have just started In Search of the Dark Ages which, though I've only just begun, I can tell already will be an enjoyable read.
May follow that with Morality Play -which seems popular! and/or Crown in Candlelight.
Forgot about this one that I have on kindle: Lady Macbeth but I wanted to re-read Macbeth first - don't think I'll have time. Decisions, decisions...:)
I finished my first book in this challenge; The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood by Howard Pyle and enjoyed the stories, familiar to most people, very much. I think I read as a youngster but it was still fresh and entertaining. (4 stars). I liked the edition I found at a used book store in Victoria, BC; published in 1952. Loved the drawings within. I'm going to start another book in this challenge, Sir Nigel by Arthur Conan Doyle, spanning the early phase of the 100 Year's War.
Katherine by Anya Seton was a great read so I'm staying in the 1300s with
by Anne O'Brien and hoping it'll be just as good...
Dead Man's Ransom is done. I am taking a break from historical for now but I will pick up again shortly.
Just picked up The Black Death which I found hiding in the corner of my bookshelf - need to set some time aside for this challenge as I'm getting distracted!!!
In 2003 Prof Keith Jenkins, the historiographer, wrote 'Refiguring History'. Having read this, scepticism about factual content now abounds, but, on the other hand, a good fiction author's character studies can credibly take you into places you might otherwise think impossible. 'Refiguring History' should be obligatory - it's not long or difficult to read.
I'm new to GR so maybe I'm a little off target, but there are some oldies worth reading: William Golding's The Spire - a deep character study of person responsible for the construction of the Salisbury Cathedral spire, and George Shipway's The Paladin, a plausible story of Normans in the twelfth century for middle-aged schoolboys (and girls). The voices of both authors are convincing.
I've finished my second book for this era, Sir Nigel: Boyhood of the Commander of the White Company and enjoyed very much. I don't think I'll have time to read another before end September.
Jack, I've been meaning to read 'The Spire' for this challenge. Although I'm still only partway into 'Anna Karenina' for the genre challenge, so it may be a while yet...
Liz wrote: "Jack, I've been meaning to read 'The Spire' for this challenge. Although I'm still only partway into 'Anna Karenina' for the genre challenge, so it may be a while yet..."
I read it in 1984 - so can't remember much, but I know I couldn't put it down. But then The subject matter was particularly interesting to me. Hope I've not misled you.
I read it in 1984 - so can't remember much, but I know I couldn't put it down. But then The subject matter was particularly interesting to me. Hope I've not misled you.
Jack wrote: "I read The Spire in 1984 - so can't remember much, but I know I couldn't put it down. But then The subject matter was particularly interesting to me. Hope I've not misled you. ."I've read Lord of the Flies several times and love it. I've always meant to read more William Golding, so finger's crossed! (though at the mo' I'm STILL stuck in the depths of Anna Karenina for the genre challenge; slow going, but I'm enjoying it...)
So we'll be entering the 16th century in October? Finally, I'll have perfect the excuse to read 'Bring up the bodies' :)
I think my current middles ages read
The Lady of the Rivers by Philippa Gregory is going to take me into October... then I'll have to start thinking about 16th Century. I may have some Alison Weir books on the Kindle which would fit the bill.
The Lady of the Rivers was worth squeezing in at the last! What I admire about Philippa Gregory is that despite knowing roughly what happened, I still felt drawn into the story, an intriguing choice of character in Jaquetta - an unusual woman for the time, taking her destiny in her own hands. I very much enjoyed her interpretation of events and the motivations of these historical characters with a strong theme of magic, witchcraft and superstition underpinning the whole.
I'm a tad behind with this particular time period. But have just reserved
at the library so hopefully it'll come in soon.
An really good read is Barry Unsworth's Morality Play set in Chaucer's time, but far less tortured language. Excellent 'voice' though. About a wayward young cleric who is taken into a travelling group of players.
Hello, I am not an Historian but a Medievalist and a Classicist.The 'official' dates of the Middle Ages are 476AD to 1942AD, yet I find myself in strong disagreement with these dates.
476AD was chosen for allegedly being the fall of the Western Roman Empire, but this year was chosen with an anti-Teutonic sentiment. The reality is that this is the year when Theodoric became Augustus, or Emperor in modern parlance, and because he was the first German Emperor, he was chosen as de facto the anti-emperor. The reality is that he revived the Western Empire with an impressive effort to rebuild roads, bridges and aqueducts resulting in a 'renaissance' of Imperial Rome that lasted thirty years.
The second date I'd, of course, the alleged 'discovery' of America. The fact that the Americas had already been discovered is self-evident, and the fact that Columbus was by no means the first Euroean to set foot on the 'New Continent' is widely documented fact with quite a lot of archeological evidence (the Templars were there centuries before). Although I see how Columbus's invasion was a momentous event in the expansionistic growth of European Empires which dominated the following centuries may justify the choice of this year. However, this is also allegedly the beginning of the Renaissance, and here I have my reservations: the Renaissance had already started, and Leonardo was by then no spring chicken... I would choose Leonardo's birthday as the end of the Middle Ages: 15th April 1452.
In January we're going to be heading back to the Middle Ages - I'm not sure what I'm going to read yet but I was thinking earlier that it's been a while since I've read any Philippa Gregory so will see what I have on Kindle or bookshelves that might fit... anyone else have any good suggestions?
I was thinking of trying Seamus Heaney's version of Beowulf. I know I have others on my to read list. I will take a look....
...I've had a look and I'm tempted by The Ruby in Her Navel by Barry Unsworth, The Spire by William Golding, Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin and there's still The Dream of Scipio by Ian Pears that I've been meaning to read for a while. Choices, choices!
As a historian I was interested in the original comment to the thread. Never believe anything you read in Wikipedia. The Middle Ages was originally a pejorative term for those convinced that the Renaissance brought in the Modern Age. Although the Renaissance in northern Europe occurs in the 16th century it began in the 13th century in southern Europe. A better distinction (for historical purposes, not this challenge) is from the collapse of urban culture with the demise of the Western Roman Empire until its revival in the 13th century (see above). As a final historical point the Roman Empire fell in the 15th century when Constantine the final Roman Emperor died at the gates of Constantinople in defence of an empire that was by 1453 little more than a city state in what we now call Turkey.Pedantry over and thank you for not invoking that incredibly inaccurate description of the Dark Ages for what we now non-pejoratively call the Early Middle Ages. Now I can look forward to some middling medieval literature. For a good overview of the period I highly recommend Steven Lawhead's Byzantium, which covers monastic Ireland, Viking adventurers, the Arab Empire, and Constantinople in one character-driven novel. I might read Lawhead's Patrick: Son of Ireland.
Roughly speaking from the 5th Century until the 15th (unless we have historians who know better?)