Win Chaucers England Generated By Diana Childress Presented In Ebook
England, exploresth century England: from traveling to food, from housing to money, from "social hierarchy" to the religious order, from Parliament to medicine, from marriage to "leisure" activities.
Geoffrey Chaucer, was born in London, England, about, and died, There are "official documents" which contain information about Chaucer, "many of them brief records of payments made to him by his employers.
" Three English kings ruled during Chaucer's life, Edward III ruled, and Richard II, Henry IV, began his reign late in,
Geoffrey Chaucer's, notable work is Canterbury Tales, He also wrote Troilus and Criseyde, The Romaunt of the Rose, The Plowman's Tale, The Pilgrim's Tale, and more.
Chaucer's England, is a quick read yet packed with information,
A favorite aspect of reading history is how people lived during another era, I enjoyed reading about social customs, for example, the marriageable age forth century was age fourteen for boys and age twelve for girls.
Marriage during this period was not considered a romantic
decision although they enjoyed reading romantic stories, It was a "economic and social arrangement, " Most often boys were in their twenties when they married, girls in their teen years,
The three estates of social class were peasants, knighthood, and clergy, In more than one section in the book these classes will be expounded on,
Overall, this is a splendid book that can be used for reference, as well as interesting reading material.
Note: This is not a book about Chaucer, it is a book about the period in which he lived.
I read this at the same time I reread Chaucer's tales and it was a great complement, This book offered a great deal of insight into the lives led during the time of Chaucer, It was a bit dry in places but it was valuable as I attempt to get through The Canterbury Tales.
This would still be of value for history buffs, even if you never plan to read anything written by Chaucer.
A few interesting tidbits:
"Medical care took an holistic approach: the psychological and spiritual wellbeing of patients was linked to their physical care.
Prayers and pilgrimages were as mych a part of the healing process as medicine, Healthful foods, rest, a peaceful environment, and music were considered important restoratives, One fourteenthcentury. English surgeon, John Arderne, also notes the importance of laughter to health: 'It spedeth,' he writes, 'that a leche kunne talk of gode tales and of honest that may make the pacientes to laugh.
'" I couldn't resist adding some actual Middle English,
"Cooking was largely in professional hqnds, Noble households and rich peasants and townspeople hired cooks, Cookshops sold prepared foods to the less wealthy, and street vendors hawked hot pies on market days, In towns, takeout meals were delivered to people's homes, In a time when not everyone had ovens and cooking took time, and skill, cooking was an important business, " This book might as well be titled 'Life in Thirteenth Century England' for that is its entire subject it talks a little of Chaucer but never in any great detail.
Those looking for a basic portrait of medieval English life may find it useful those looking for information about Geoffrey Chaucer should check out a biography.
Fantastic book for an overview of topics ranging from food to astrology to medicine to recreation and travel.
It's nice and short if you just want the basics it could go far more in depth, but this is a great start to the particular time period in this location for someone like me who hasn't read much on this era in England.
Drawing from historical and archaeological sources, as well as accounts of Chaucer's own life, this book recreates England in the age of the Canterbury Tales.
It covers such topics as the science and medicine of the time, .