Life in the Middle Ages

While they lived in a world often regarded as oppressive and restricted, the tales of how women fared in the medieval era actually offer a more nuanced take. In this book, the roles that women took as members of their communities, within their families, and within society at large are explored with vivid imagery and attention to rich historical sources. It is sure to expand readers' understanding of the complexity of medieval women, who far beyond simply being housewives, took central roles in agriculture, trade, craftsmanship, religious and literary life, and much more.

If it is clothes that make the man or woman, each historical era can speak volumes to modern observers with its dominant fashions and clothing trends. This book provides a vivid journey into the fabrics used by medieval peoples, the textile trade, tailoring, and the ever more outrageous and interesting garb worn by women and men of the nobility. Stitched together with their social and historical context, this title weaves a compelling narrative for both fans of fashion and history alike. The colorfully rendered historical record is further enhanced with paintings, frescoes, and other visual media depicting medieval fashions and clothing.

Beyond the chivalry and adventure often presented in fictional works, the medieval era was marked by frequent military conflict. The tools for war employed by soldiers, knights, archers, and other combatants on the battlefield and in bloody sieges are richly rendered in this book. This book explores the use of cavalry, castle fortifications, and military tactics, and it is illustrated with imagery sure to underscore the immediacy and harshness of conflict. Readers will be drawn in by the romance and adventure of the era, even as the book soberly relates the very real circumstances of brutal medieval warfare.

Throughout Europe, medieval forces were either engaged in conflict or preparing for it through training. Arising from the need to keep the skills of warriors sharp and battle-ready, medieval jousting for knights on horseback became a widespread pastime. This book details how the culture of medieval tournaments arose around jousting and other games of combat, including both for the mounted cavalry (knights) and foot soldiers (in events such as melees) and became a central aspect of medieval court life. Readers will be further drawn in by the visual pageantry and artifacts depicted in the book's historical imagery.

Many entries in the historical record and examples from popular culture show nobles, knights, kings, and peasants alike celebrating with food and drink. In this book, medieval agriculture, food preparation, and eating are explored in equal measure. With vivid examples from historical manuscripts, paintings, frescoes, and more, this book opens a window for readers into the culinary worlds and celebratory rituals of the people of the Middle Ages. From typical foods of the common people, to the most dazzling and lavish displays of consumption by kings and queens, this volume is sure to sate readers' appetites for knowledge about the era.

As modern tourist destinations, museums, and sites of archaeological and architectural study, medieval castles continue to captivate students of history and laymen alike. Medieval cathedrals, many refurbished and still in use, also inspire awe, inspiration, and historical interest. In this book, readers will be enthralled by the vivid imagery of the castles and cathedrals that remain all over Europe and the rich historical narratives their stories convey. This work will be a surefire hit with those seeking the history behind some of the most impressive and romantic castles ever constructed and the most soaring and grand cathedrals of the medieval era.