Life and Work in Medieval Europe

P Boissonnade

Published by Kegan Paul Trench Trubner and Co, 1927

About this Item

Life and Work in Medieval Europe is one of those splendidly serious 1920s history books that looks at the Middle Ages and asks the important question: yes, but how did everyone actually get anything done? Written by P. Boissonnade and published by Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner and Co in 1927, this is not a book of knights posing heroically on horseback while minstrels provide atmosphere. It is far more useful than that. It is concerned with work, trade, towns, labour, land, guilds, agriculture, industry, and the enormous medieval business of keeping civilisation moving while wearing uncomfortable clothing and having very limited plumbing. The title promises life and work, and that is exactly the appeal. Here is medieval Europe not as pageant, but as economy: fields, workshops, markets, monasteries, merchants, craftsmen, peasants, landlords, and all the practical machinery behind the stained glass. It is the Middle Ages with the romance turned down and the accounts ledger opened. This good copy has slight fading to the front and back cover, but is otherwise in pretty good condition, which feels entirely fitting. A book about medieval labour should not look pampered. It should look as though it has known effort, survived storage, and quietly endured a century of being pulled from shelves by people who wanted something meatier than ?castles were important.? A solid, thoughtful volume for readers interested in medieval social history, economic history, labour, guilds, rural life, town life, and the unglamorous systems that kept Europe from collapsing every Tuesday. Not flashy, not frivolous, but full of the kind of historical substance that reminds you the past was mostly people working very hard so a few chroniclers could later mention a king.

Seller Inventory # 6321

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Life and Work in Medieval Europe
• Publisher: Kegan Paul Trench Trubner and Co
• Publication Date: 1927
• Binding: Hardback
• Condition: Good