Medieval Lives by Terry Jones.
Right out of the traps I suffered a not unfamiliar problem with this one. The subject was fascinating, well researched, well written even but I just couldn't help thinking that I would surely enjoy watching Mr Jones on TV more than I enjoyed reading his words. I'm not a lazy bastard, i love to read. Working out all those words. Hey, I can even do it in my head, It's just that sometimes I'd like to see a movie about Knights and Ladies and Kings and paupers.
Filled with anecdotes and trivia about this Lord, or that King, about how ordinary folk did in fact have a pretty healthy lifestyle untill they died of disease at 42 years old, Jones successfully challenged almost every perception about the period.
The best bits of the book were definately the chapter about the Church, how it completely corrupted virtually every aspect of medieval life and how armies and knights turned warfare into a business, perpetuating the murder and mayhem in order to make a few quid.
It also reminded me a bit of the children's book " The Measly Middle Ages" by Terry Deary, plagarism? I hope not!
Certainly worth a read, but what about a History Channel miniseries?
3 comments:
I love how you seem to have inadvertently invented a posting Tardis.
If you are done with this by the wedding, can I borrow it? I'll trade you that Hitchens book I was telling you about last night (or two days after you wrote this a day before it posted).
I think you're still a little po'ed at Mr. Jones
MsDee, I have to fullest respect for the work of Mr Terrence Jones. That is all I will say on the matter.
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