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About
Tania O'Donnell takes the reader on a journey from medieval Courtly Love, through to the sexual license of the Restoration, and Victorian propriety. Pick up historical 'dating tips,' from how to court (or be courted), write romantic love letters, give and receive gifts, propose and pose as a sighing swain. The book takes a historical approach to the problem of finding a mate, with case studies of classic romantic mistakes and plenty of unusual tales. In the 14th century young men tried to impress the ladies with their footwear, donning shoes with pointed toes so long that they had to be secured with whalebone-presumably because size mattered! A History of Courtship is an entertaining and enlightening look at seduction over the centuries.
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Reviews
"A lively and insightful study. The broad range of examples given, both from historical and fictional sources make this an excellent read for those interested in the social history of the period."
Elizabeth Norton, author of The Temptation of Elizabeth
"O'Donnel's approachable and engaging writing style takes us on a romantic adventure through 800 years of the pleasures and pitfalls of human courtship, drawing upon a plethora of well-researched original sources. From the inception of chivalry and courtly love in the 12th century to strange practices such as 'bundling' in the seventeenth to folklore driven notions of the eighteenth to the superst
Karen Bowman, author of Corsets and Codpieces, Essex Girls, and Essex Boys
"A lively, merry romp through centuries of wooing, elopements, love affairs, and scandal. Perfect for Jane Austen fans!"
Eleanor Herman, author of Sex with Kings and Sex with the Queen