Genealogy Books - Life in a Medieval Castle

Spotlight customer reviews:
Customer Rating:

Summary: just the facts m'lady
Comment: The authors do an excellent job describing, in great detail, the ins and outs of of life in a
midieval castle. So, it would be of great use to someone doing a research report for some odd reason
on the subject. Otherwise, I found the book unfit for casual reading because its nothing but factoid
after factoid, presented without a hint of personality. Basically reads like an owners manual. I was
expecting more with a subject this fascinating.

Customer Rating:

Summary: a look into life in the Middle Ages
Comment: This book is an excellent start in study the workings of a Castle and how everyday life was in
Medieval times. The starts with the Castle arriving in England, and then moves into the various
aspects of Castle life, the function of the Lord and Lady, the running of a household, how hunting
was not a sport, but a means of survival. It goes into how a knight was made, how the Castle
function in warfare and then shows why Castles slowly faded away.

Excellent work for anyone
interested in the topic and a must for Historical writers.

Customer Rating:

Summary: Castles 101
Comment: Like the Gies' other works, this book gives a view of the day-to-day life of people in the middle
ages for the non-technical reader. In this case, the book's about what it was like to live in a
medieval castle. As with their other books, some serious historians will find the book to vague,
while many casual readers may find the book to provide too much seemingly trivial detail. For me, it
was a great light read, full of fun information. It's also a pretty honest little book. No high
prose or deep philosophy here --just the facts. So you want to know what it was like to live in a
castle, here are the down and dirty facts. Think of it as Castles 101. Great job!

For those
interested in a deeper treatment of medieval life, Barbara Tushman's "Through a Distance Mirror" is
a really great book.

Customer Rating:

Summary: Great Overview to Whett Your Interest in Medieval Castles
Comment: This is an excellent overview of castle life in England from just after the Conquest until decline
of the feudal era. It's nicely illustrated with photographs of extant castles and period
illustrations. I would definitely recommend this as either a book for the casual reader who might
have an interest in medieval social life or a beginning for a more serious study.

The authors
try to do a fair assesment of such issues as medieval hygeine (where it is all too easy to overwhelm
the readers with descriptions of how dirty and disgusting the medieval life would be to modern
sensibilities, thus overlooking that there was concern about unpleasant smells from the privy
chamber, and how to fix it). The discussion on the duties associated with the feudal relationship is
also very clear and readable. I particularly was interested in the mention at several points that
physical blows were used as mnemonic aids. The buffet given a squire upon being knight was no mere
tap, but many times a hearty blow meant to make him remember his oath of knightood. Also, beating
the bounds was used to teach youngsters where the important landmarks were often by giving them a
blow at the site of the landmark, or even bumping them against it. Fascinating look at the medieval
ideas about learning-- which does have some effectiveness, epecially in a largely illiterate
society, although it would probably be cause for arrest in any state in the US if it was used today.

Libraries have been written on any one of the sujects that was mentioned in this book so don't
expect it to hold the one answer to any question about medieval life in a castle, but it can't be
beat for a clearly written overview.

Customer Rating:

Summary: Okay Book
Comment: Everyone else seems to be astounded and amazed by this book, butit was just okay. The information in
this book was very good, but it was presented in a very boring fashion. The only reason I am reading
this book is for summer reading, but my mind tends to wonder, and I can not stayed focus, because
the book is quite boring. It is great for adults or students doing research on castles in Europe,
but is definently not for pleasure reading.

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