Overall I enjoyed the book, but I’ve read other books about this topic and this one gives less information and less new information for me. I am still glad I read it though

Really good read. Gory. Detailed. Interesting. True crime enthusiast’s will enjoy this. I did finish this but did take me a while to actually finish. I kept loosing interest not sure why

This is exactly and not exactly what I was expecting when I decided I wanted to read this book. I think the author does a really good job at going through the types of deaths that occurred in 17th century England, from the young to old, from disease or natural, and then talking about the funeral developments and wills. There were some gruesome details I wasn't expecting, and I'm not sure if that's because I can't believe people did that at one point, or because I just didn't expect the book to be so graphic. The details are very specific throughout the book, which was nice. We actually have names of people that we can reference to the details the author was going over. At first, I thought this was too specific, especially at the start, but it's something I ended up enjoying overall. Glad I picked this up.

This was a very interesting read! It was well written and clearly well-researched. Made a change from my usual reading but I would definitely recommend to anyone with a curiosity for reading something different.

This book has been published at just the right time for me as I am researching the 17th century for a project that I am currently working on and has been instrumental in filling in some of the information gaps that I had.

At the end of each of these chapters the author provides an extensive bibliography and I would really enjoy the opportunity to read some of them; all of which appear to be of great historical interest.

Anyone who is interested in the history of the 17th century would gain much from reading this book and I highly recommend it.

Further thoughts on my blog at: https://leftontheshelfbookblog.blogspot.com/2021/01/a-history-of-death-in-17th-century.html

“A History of Death in 17th Century England” by Ben Norman has been well researched. It is filled with several detailed facts, along with accompanied examples of specified people who carried out the custom or matched the circumstance being discussed. Being an amateur genealogist, I found this book to be extremely helpful in my understanding of how death and wills were carried out in the 1600’s. Documents I have found relating to relatives who passed away during the 17th century now make more sense to me, and why I would find everyday objects such as fabric or gloves being mentioned. This was a quick read that will definitely provide you with an understanding knowledge of 17th century England’s death customs and trends.

Princess Fuzzypants here:: Perhaps this is not the most joyous book to read in the midst of a global pandemic but it certainly does show humans have been through some dark things before... and will probably be through some dark things in the future. It does put it into perspective. It also shows, particularly in the chapter about plague and sickness in general how much we have learned and how similar some of the blights are to our present circumstances.

It has an interesting slant as it describes that century as early modern. In other words it was transitional from some of the older ways of thinking and moving towards some of our more current thinking. We might, however, be excused for considering some things still rather barbaric particularly in crime and punishment. Or we might also muse that mankind has not come terribly far at all.

It is a fascinating read, chock full of details and information. It might be something the reader could approach in one fell swoop or it might be something that is consumed in more bite sized chunks as each chapter is a meal that is neither too little or too much. Four purrs and two paws up.

I found this to be quite an interesting account of death in the 17th century in England. Some of the causes of death in that time were so minor, it is a wonder anyone survived adulthood long enough to have children of their own and thus continue the family line! The descriptions of funerals and buriels were fascinating, as were the gifts that were given to loved ones as remembrances. I enjoyed reading the "olde worlde" English parts of the book as well - so interesting how our language has changed over the centuries.

It has to be said that I found this book more like an academic document than a non-fiction book that you pick up and read, but that is ok. It took me a little while to get through because although it is clearly very well researched, it isn't something that you can read for hours on end.

I read the Kindle version of the book and I really wish that I had read the printed version because there was some lovely artwork that I was unable to see very well in the version of the book that I had. I ended up looking up some of the people mentioned in the book for myself so it was certainly educational!

4 stars from me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pen and Sword.

A very interesting read, especially in the wake of the current pandemic. It was interesting to read about how differently and similarly death was treated in the early modern times and how things have changed or remained the same now.

I really enjoy histories that focus in on very specific topics and A History of Death in 17th Century England did not disappoint. Norman has written an in-depth, readable, and very interesting history of death, burial, and remembrance in the 1600's.

There is good use of primary source material that allows the reader feel connected to people who lived over 400 years ago. The illustrations included are well-chosen and added to my understanding. I also really appreciated the extensive bibliography and helpful index.

I found especially interesting the description of the funeral of Elizabeth I (including the preparations for and procession to), the chapter on unconventional burials (which includes the story of the man who dug his own grave), and descriptions of remembrance bequests (specifically deaths head rings).

Thanks to NetGalley and Pen & Sword for sending a copy for review.

Thank you to Netgalley and Pen & Sword History for the opportunity to review an ARC of A History of Death in 17th Century England by Ben Norman in exchange for an honest review.

I requested this book because I am primarily interested in English history academically. The subject of death, however, is of course one which does not resonate positively. Yet, it's a natural part of life, and thus a huge part of history. As the description states, death "was a constant presence in the lives of the rich and poor alike in the seventeenth-century England, being much more visible in everyday existence than it is today." In fact, that statement alone highlights two important concepts this book essentially covers -- death comes to all social/economic classes, and death (as an event) has changed throughout time (such as causes, effects, procedures, consequences, ceremonies, etc). The book covers causes of death that would be common in this time period, such as disease, war, and capital punishment. It covers death-related processes, such as wills, funeral customs, and burial customs. As a result, this book essentially follows the what/why/how type of format, in my opinion, while retaining an academic tone accessible for all readers.

If you want a reason to be grateful for living in this century--yes, even during the disaster that is 2020, then perhaps you should read this book. There are a lot of things about the 17th century that were less than pleasant, and unsurprisingly, death and burial customs were a few of them that really stand out. The author did a good job of depicting this for the reader, although you might not want to eat whilst reading this book. Some of it is rather brutally honest.

There were portions of this book that were incredibly interesting and a lot of research hours must have gone into its formation. Sadly, there were other parts that were a bit of a slog. I expect that is to do with the style of the writing, being bits and pieces strung together to tell a more complete story for the reader. Sometimes this book feels a bit more disjointed in places than in others.

Still, I found the majority of this book interesting and worth the time to read. There are some surprises, some giggles and a lot of unusual behaviour in this book, so I feel comfortable recommending it to others.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher, provided through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Another Net Galley read. I liked it, again I was very excited about the subject matter. It did drag in some areas but overall the author delivered. I would have liked him to go further on some subjects. Double Decker memorials, he touched upon hair as a keepsake - was his more common, superstitions and general beliefs surrounding death, etc. Also, in a few places he goes to talk about several things but after talking about one he drops the thread altogether. Granted, even in the best of works one will always find something that needs work. What work is truly perfect? This is a massive subject where one can easily get side tracked. The author handled this excellently and presented a very worthy book.

I completed my dissertation at university on death on the early modern stage, so this is a topic I have some knowledge of. The book is well researched, well written and interesting, and it does present the reader with a thorough history of death in the C17, from the different types of death through to burials, funerals and memorials. I feel the book is able to very skilfully, bridge the divide between a book that gives an accessible account of its subject for the general reader, whilst providing a useful research for research purposes, I certainly wish it had been available when I wrote my dissertation.

A really enjoyable, informative book.

First I would like to say thank you to Ben Norman, Netgalley, and Pen & Sword History for allowing me to review this title.

This book is a thoroughly researched examination of death and the rituals that surround it from the death of Queen Elizabeth I in 1603, to Queen Mary’s funeral in 1695.
Norman takes the reader on a step by step journey from causes of death (and how this changed over the centuries), preparation for burial, funeral practices, interment, remembrances, and how the practices of this century set the standard for centuries to come.
Norman also includes several clear, and wonderful images to show the reader just what he is describing.

I highly recommend this book, both for those who have an interest in this subject and for those who are researching this specific topic. Again, thank you for allowing me to review this title.

I'll say it straight off. I loved this book. I couldn't put it down. I read the Kindle, holding it in one hand while I stirred the dinner with the other. I went to bed early just so I could read it, tucked up under the covers. I read this book in just under three days, snatching reading time where I could alongside daily tasks.

I found the book really easy to read, with an engaging, conversational style. It's well researched, contains lots of illustrations and is set out in clear, well-focused chapters. You get to find out the various causes of death in the seventeenth century, the way people were buried, how they grieved and how they were then remembered. The writer refers back to wills, letters and diaries from the period, which are fascinating in their detail. I also loved the rundown of royal funerals, and the ways in which they were different. I was surprised to not see any information on death masks - I think they were still making them at this time - but yes, I absolutely enjoyed the book and it's given me a sense of background to the 17th century that I'll use when researching my own local history and looking at church records, burials and wills. Totally recommend.

I had hoped for new information about attitudes towards death, mourning, remembrance practices, and more, but unfortunately the content is almost entirely restating already known facts and figures. While it includes some lengthy quotations from period documents, there is little deep engagement with these. Readers can easily find everything included in this book online, and often with better commentary and better writing, to boot.

An interesting exploration into Death, from natural causes or execution through to funeral practices.

I think there are several things that make this book special. The book's structure helps draw the reader in with the earlier sections being about modes of death then progressing through the various rituals involved in a timeline like matter. Second, the book's reliance of primary source material. The author references contemporary documents and art throughout the book brought the material to life. I appreciated the inclusion of photos with descriptive footnotes to bring context. I also appreciated that the book for concise and to the point.

I gave the book four stars for a few reasons. I feel like this book's tone was very academic. Based on the other histories I've read, I've found that a more narrative style can bring life to the facts. In addition, I really wanted the author to spend a larger time discussing the modes of death and perhaps bringing a modern eye to the various cause of death descriptors, putting it into words that lay people can understand.

Overall I think this book will be interesting to those who are fascinated by readers who enjoy morbid history and more specialized historical surveys. I think those that enjoy Caitlin Doughtry will enjoy this.

I have a fascination with the history of death and funerary practices so I found this book to be a very interesting insight to the various causes of death and how the dead were treated in Stuart England. It’s a little basic but it does serve as a good starting point if you want to look deeper into the subject. It’s informative and well researched with lots of personal stories from people at the time. I know this isn’t going to be a book for everyone but if you do have any interest in the subject, it’s a very good read.