Book Review: The Time Traveler's Guide to Medieval England

Pretend for a moment you are a first-time traveler to London in, say, 1345. As you approach the city, you wonder many things: where should I stay, what should I eat, what will I see -- and what is that smell? If you knew what a travel guide was, you'd wish you had one.

The Time Traveler's Guide to Medieval England is a vivid and immensely readable description of life in 14th-century England. Writing as if he were authoring a travel guide, Ian Mortimer takes you by the hand and puts you inside everyday life in medieval England. As with any good guide, he tells you what you will see in the cities and towns, what you will eat, drink and wear, and what to do for entertainment. Travelers to the 1300's need to know about health and hygiene, laws and the people themselves -- what do they look like, what are their manners and how do they speak? Mortimer's use of the present tense focuses on what is happening now, not what has already happened. His writing, liberally sprinkled with wry humor, does not offer comparisons to modern life or make condescending assumptions. The main point of his work is that medieval people are not ignorant in the sense of having no knowledge; their knowledge is simply different from our own.

I recommend The Time Traveler's Guide to Medieval England to anyone with an interest in the people and spirit of the 14th century. Historical fiction readers may appreciate this book as an informative companion to understanding everyday life in the 1300's. While not an academic or scholarly reference, there is an extensive "Notes" section with works cited for further inquiry. As for that smell I mentioned, you'll just have to read the book; medieval England is not for the faint of heart. - Linda (Downtown)