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A Brief History of Life in the Middle Ages (Brief Histories) Paperback – March 12, 2009

by Martyn Whittock (Author)
4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 103 ratings
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Using wide-ranging evidence, Martyn Whittock shines a light on Britain in the Middle Ages, bringing it vividly to life. Thus we glimpse 11th century rural society through a conversation between a ploughman and his master. The life of Dick Whittington illuminates the rise of the urban elite. The stories of Roger ‘the Raker’ who drowned in his own sewage, a ‘merman’ imprisoned in Orford Castle and the sufferings of the Jews of Bristol reveal 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. Interesting facts include: When the life expectancy for women dropped to 26 years in Sierra Leone in 2002, following a catastrophic civil war, it was one year longer than the estimate for early medieval women. So great was the extent of church construction in the thirteenth century that it has been calculated it was the equivalent, in modern terms, of every family in England paying £500 every year, for the whole century! Murder rates for East Anglia, in the fourteenth century, were comparable with those of modern New York. For England generally the homicide rate was far higher than that of the urban USA today.
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  1. Language
    English
  2. Publisher
    Robinson
  3. Publication date
    March 12, 2009
  4. Dimensions
    5.12 x 0.79 x 7.76 inches
  5. ISBN-10
    1845296850
  6. ISBN-13
    978-1845296858
  7. See all details
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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Robinson; UK ed. edition (March 12, 2009)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1845296850
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1845296858
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.12 x 0.79 x 7.76 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 103 ratings

About the authors

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  1. Martyn Whittock

    Martyn Whittock

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    Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

    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, including Russia post-1991.

    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. Recently, I have written about the impact of end-times (apocalyptic and millenarian) beliefs on culture and politics over 2000 years.

    I retired from teaching in 2016 to devote more time to writing, historical and political commenting, and guest blogging. I am a regular columnist for a number of online news platforms and also contribute to a wide range of radio and TV news and chat shows - especially exploring how faith interacts with contemporary culture and how history impacts on the present.

    I am the author or co-author of fifty-five books, with total sales of over 1 million copies. 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.

    See more on the author's page
  2. Martyn J. Whittock

    Martyn J. Whittock

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    Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

    Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more

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Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
4.2 out of 5
103 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Thomas Marble
5.0 out of 5 stars How did "common" people live? Many clues here.
Reviewed in the United States on June 8, 2018
Verified Purchase
Ah, this is history as I enjoy studying it. The focus is less upon which "noble" rose to power and conquered than it is about how more or less common people actually lived. I appreciated reading about what I have always suspected, that they lived better than what the movies and more popular (not not a few academic works) describe. I'm keeping this one.
5 people found this helpful
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MP
4.0 out of 5 stars I love it!!!
Reviewed in the United States on November 6, 2013
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A great work... I love it . This book give a lot of insight into the regular lives and the mayor changes in the middle ages in England and at the same time is entertaining !
My only critique will be the mention of the use of corn o corn flour several times, because the middle ages go into the 16 century I guess corn could be available then from America but beside that this is a great book.
4 people found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best. I'm going to listen to it again.
Reviewed in the United States on October 28, 2016
One of the best audio books I've ever listened to. The narrator uses a conversational voice that adds greatly to what has always been very dry information to me. I am grateful that the tangle of Norman and British rulers is at last clear through the use of memorable stories about each one and the transfer of power. The rulers and the broader story of how the people were impacted, how they made an impact, how they thought, and what they believed are nicely woven into a comprehensible tapestry.
2 people found this helpful
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Margery Green
4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting.
Reviewed in the United States on March 27, 2014
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An interesting book but not quite as good as I hoped. I always want more from history than is possible.
One person found this helpful
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BernardZ
3.0 out of 5 stars Solid work
Reviewed in the United States on December 25, 2018
This book will give you a fairly good idea of what it was daily life was like in Medieval England.
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Thomas Chapman
4.0 out of 5 stars Good intro without getting bogged down in minutia
Reviewed in the United States on August 13, 2016
No doubt there are many books that cover in great detail each area touched on in this book. However, if you want a high level overview of the Middle Ages, this is quite good. Covington a variety of topics from religion to entertainment to infrastructure, this book is quite informative and very readable. Since few of the topics covered can be isolated from the others, the author weaves them together effectively without being redundant.
3 people found this helpful
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Eben Bronfman
5.0 out of 5 stars Easy informative read
Reviewed in the United States on June 2, 2021
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I liked he readability, and the factual accuracy
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Top reviews from other countries

Prateek Sachan
4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
Reviewed in India on July 2, 2015
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Treat to history lover
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Malcolm
5.0 out of 5 stars History brought to life.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 2, 2014
Verified Purchase
Life in the Middle Ages is part of the Constable & Robinson
series of brief histories, and this particular book by Martyn
Whittock is both an interesting and entertaining addition to
their list.

Using his vast knowledge of the period, the author presents
the Middle Ages, that period from the 10th century to the mid
15th century, in extremely readable and informative portions.

We have chapters on Late Anglo Saxon Society,
Population, Diet and Health, The role of women and the family,
Law and Order, Language and Culture, and The shape of
English Society by 1553.
Almost every aspect of life is covered in some depth, with
suggestions for further reading.

Using Primary Sources such as the medieval chronicles of
the time we are led into the period by an author who not only
knows his subject but seems to have lived it too, at least from
a genealogical point of view.

Over 300 pages, with full primary and secondary source notes,
an excellent bibliography and index.

Well worth buying whether you are a student of the period, a
history buff, or need to use the book as a vade mecum to check
up on facts and dates.
Published 2009
5 people found this helpful
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Highlander
4.0 out of 5 stars A Useful Introduction
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 10, 2020
Verified Purchase
A useful introduction to life in the middle ages, this book is easy to read if, like me, you struggle with a more intellectul style of writing. It doesn't go into great detail but for the price it offers a good all-round look At the era.
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paul garnham
5.0 out of 5 stars An interesting book when dealing with social history
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 1, 2021
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Well written and produced book
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history reader
4.0 out of 5 stars Good book
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 20, 2022
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Enjoyed it.
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