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Medieval history comes alive in Joseph and Frances Gies’s classic bestseller on life in medieval villages
This new reissue of Life in a Medieval Village, by respected historians Joseph and Frances Gies, paints a lively, convincing portrait of rural people at work and at play in the Middle Ages. Focusing on the village of Elton, in the English East Midlands, the Gieses detail the agricultural advances that made communal living possible, explain what domestic life was like for serf and lord alike, and describe the central role of the church in maintaining social harmony. Though the main focus is on Elton, c. 1300, the Gieses supply enlightening historical context on the origin, development, and decline of the European village, itself an invention of the Middle Ages.
Meticulously researched, Life in a Medieval Village is a remarkable account that illustrates the captivating world of the Middle Ages and demonstrates what it was like to live during a fascinating—and often misunderstood—era.
During the High Middle Ages, more than nine out of ten Europeans lived in peasant communities. They not only had to grow or raise all of their own food, but were also required to cultivate the fields of the lord who provided them with land and protection. In Life in a Medieval Village, Frances and Joseph Gies draw on archeological discoveries and contemporary documents to explore this long-lost world.
The Gieses focus on Elton, England, which was in many ways typical of European villages of the time. Readers will learn how medieval laborers worked and played, how they administered town affairs, and what roles the local lord and the Christian Church played in their lives. Life in a Medieval Village also explores the origins of this unique style of community, as well as its eventual demise. This lively, detailed portrait shows how life was really lived by most Europeans seven hundred years ago. Frances and Joseph Gies have been writing books about medieval history for more than thirty years. Together and separately, they are the authors of more than twenty books, including Life in a Medieval City, Life in a Medieval Castle, Life in a Medieval Village, The Knight in History, and Cathedral, Forge, and Waterwheel. They live near Ann Arbor, Michigan. “A good general introduction to the history of this period.” — Los Angeles TimesYou may also like
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