What was life really like in England in the later Middle Ages? This comprehensive introduction explores the full breadth of English life and society in the period 1200-1500. Opening with a survey of historiographical and demographic debates, the book then explores the central themes of later medieval society, including the social hierarchy, life in towns and the countryside, religious belief, and forms of individual and collective identity. Clustered around these themes a series of authoritative essays develop our understanding of other important social and cultural features of the period, including the experience of war, work, law and order, youth and old age, ritual, travel and transport, and the development of writing and reading. Written in an accessible and engaging manner by an international team of leading scholars, this book is indispensable both as an introduction for students and as a resource for specialists.
Preface; 1. Introduction: social structure and economic change in late medieval England S. H. Rigby; 2. An age of deference Peter Coss; 3. The enterprise of war Michael Prestwich; 4. Order and law Simon Walker; 5. Social mobility Philippa C. Maddern; 6. Town life Richard Britnell; 7. The land Bruce M. S. Campbell; 8. A consumer economy Maryanne Kowaleski; 9. Moving around Wendy R. Childs; 10. Work and leisure Mavis E. Mate; 11. Religious belief Eamon Duffy; 12. A magic universe Valerie I. J. Flint; 13. Renunciation Janet Burton; 14. Ritual constructions of society Charles Phythian-Adams; 15. Identities Miri Rubin; 16. Life and death: the ages of man P. J. P. Goldberg; 17. The wider world Robin Frame; 18. Writing and reading Paul Strohm; 19. Conclusion Rosemary Horrox; Further reading; Index.
