"The Time-traveller's Guide to Medieval England" by Ian Mortimer

As much as I enjoyed "The Mill on the Floss", all that quiet, pastoral little stories made me drowsy and I needed something more "meaty" - the perfect choice to keep my attention and curiosity (combined with interesting informations) was "The Time Traveller's Guide to Medieval England" by Ian Mortimer.

It is a lovely, inspired and passionately written peek to daily life of 14.century England - not only aristocratic life of castles, wars and fair ladies but life of ordinary men and women. Thought the human nature basically stayed the same - as Mortimer points out, at every time in a history people loved each other, cleaned their houses, laughed, cried and died - it is behaviour and expectations that changed a lot with time and if things seem strange from our perspective, just think what will future generations think about us.
The book starts with a picturesque entry of reader (time traveller) into a medieval Exeter with its cathedral, bridges, children begging, shop sellers and a "Shitbrook" where all the  excrement of the city was emptied. From a Shitbrook we continue this fascinating introduction to a life back than - what people ate, how did they live, how long did they live, what kind of house/furniture they had, what were they wearing, where did they travel, about food/drinks/hygiene/ health/medicine, the law back than and finally a chapter about games,music and literature at the time.

It is utterly fascinating story because strange as those people might seem to modern eyes, we recognise ourselves in their passions, fears and joys. Children were supposed to be regularly beaten and parents were irresponsible if they didn't do so. Boys at the age of seven were hanged for theft. This kind of violent discipline had shaped character of medieval men who were regularly fighting wars at the age of 17 and 18, burning witches and torturing servants (life span was very short at that time). Religion was everywhere, present in daily life and often the reason for travelling - just as today tourists travel to "see the world", 14. century pilgrims would travel to see cathedrals with fingers, beards and bones of famous saints (Virgin Mary's milk in Walshingham Priory) and bringing home souvenirs from their journeys. Some of these journeys were described by Chaucer in his classic "Canterbury Tales" and it is with Chaucer that Mortimer chooses to end this sweet and too short book. Definitely one to re-read.