A fascinating new portrait of Medieval Britain that brings together the everyday and the extraordinary.
Using wide-ranging evidence, Martyn Whittock shines a light on Britain in the Middle Ages, bringing it vividly to life in this fascinating new portrait that brings together the everyday and the extraordinary.
Thus we glimpse 11th-century rural society through a conversation between a ploughman and his master.
The life of Dick Whittington illuminates the rise of the urban elite. The stories of Roger 'the Raker' who drowned in his own sewage, a 'merman' imprisoned in Orford Castle and the sufferings of the Jews of Bristol reveal the extraordinary diversity of medieval society.
Through these characters and events - and using the latest discoveries and research - the dynamic and engaging panorama of medieval England is revealed.
MARTYN WHITTOCK taught history at secondary level for thirty-five years. He has acted as an historical consultant to the National Trust, the BBC and English Heritage and is the author or co-author of forty-eight books, including A Brief History of Life in the Middle Ages, Norse Myths and Legends and The Secret History of Soviet Russia's Police State.