Life in a Medieval City

Rating:
Summary: wonderfully narrated and detailed
Review: Believe me, for all you medieval buffs, this is the book to get. Even for those of you who aren't medieval aficionados, this book will be exciting and captivating. The authors get you right in there with medieval life in a bustling city, namely Troyes, capital of Champaign. From government, to defense, and cathedral building, the authors cover a wide range of topics. Read this book

Rating:
Summary: History made accessible
Review: First of all, the authors set out to simply enlighten the modern reader as to the daily life of a Medieval city-dweller. They had no hidden agenda, just the report of the facts, as best as they could determine from existing documents and sources. Their work represents a fairly accurate representation of what life might have been like for the average city dweller during the Middle Ages.
Second, they focus on one, particular city, namely Troyes. But, what they discuss can be generalized to other cities. Also, they compare Troyes to other cities of similar size and time periods, as examples of how standard, or not, Troyes was.
Thirdly, they use easy to understand language without talking down to the reader. They don't try to make their historical personages talk to the reader, but, instead, let the occasional quote do their talking for them. They speculate only a little bit about what the people might have been thinking, focusing instead on what they actually did.

All in all, a very enjoyable book. I recommend it to anyone who has an interest in the whys and hows of life in early cities.

Rating:
Summary: Best on subject.
Review: I have been researching the Middle Ages for a number of years and this is one of the most even -handed books I have come across. The authors are researchers par excellence, and have presented their findings in an imminently readable form. If I were not already a student of the Middle Ages, however, I might have found the wealth of detail somewhat overwhelming and some of the terms and references obscure. This is a book for people who really want to know.

Rating:
Summary: Best on subject.
Review: I have been researching the Middle Ages for a number of years and this is one of the most even -handed books I have come across. The authors are researchers par excellence, and have presented their findings in an imminently readable form. If I were not already a student of the Middle Ages, however, I might have found the wealth of detail somewhat overwhelming and some of the terms and references obscure. This is a book for people who really want to know.

Rating:
Summary: A good overview.
Review: I read this book out of curiosity and I am glad I picked it up. The book's description of Troyes is quite detailed, complete and at times truly engrossing. The authors cover most aspects of life in the middle-ages and provide some insight in the developments during that time, as well as their significance (although this isn't the book to read if you are mostly interested in detaileed, scholarly historical analyses of the time). To sum up, a very pleasant book to read, full of interesting information about everyday life in another era. Recommended!

Rating:
Summary: An intriguing book about life in the middle-ages.
Review: I read this book out of curiosity and I am glad I picked it up. The book's description of Troyes is quite detailed, complete and at times truly engrossing. The authors cover most aspects of life in the middle-ages and provide some insight in the developments during that time, as well as their significance (although this isn't the book to read if you are mostly interested in detaileed, scholarly historical analyses of the time). To sum up, a very pleasant book to read, full of interesting information about everyday life in another era. Recommended!

Rating:
Summary: Let's Jump Back in Time for a Moment
Review: If you'd like to read a broad slice-of-life account of life in a medieval city, then Life in a Medieval City is a fine place to look. Based on the copyright information, it's clear that this is one of the Joseph and Frances Gies's earlier works, and the style comes off as fresh and exciting. Like the Castle and Village books, various aspects of everyday life are examined topically, with an emphasis on what is common and typical.

The focus in this volume is on the French city of Troyes in 1250. This allows the authors to be particular, and to make life come alive for that time and place. As Troyes was the site of two large annual fairs, drawing merchants from all over Europe, aspects of the fairs are described in regards to the economic life within the city. In some cases, such as in describing medieval doctors, schools, or cathedrals for example, the discussion becomes very general, and not focused on Troyes. This is obviously appropriate. The chapter on books and authors has little emphasis on cities at all, but it still is mostly in keeping with the style and content overall. On the whole, this is probably the Gies's best and liveliest Life in a Medieval (whatever) book that I've read, and I would recommend it to anyone with an interest in the subject.

Rating:
Summary: A good overview.
Review: Required to read this for a class, I found the book a great overview of life in a Medievil City. The chapters devoted to various subjects make it a good reference book. The writing style is light yet presents the indepth information.

Rating:
Summary: Well detailed, but boring.
Review: This book was very informative, but I found it boring and full of "fluff". It was not straight and to the point. As a student, it is a horrible book because the information is too vast.