This is a great little book for offering some basic information (or perhaps introduction) to anyone beginning to study, or simply just interested in, Medieval England. This particular edition is part of a larger series, all of which seem to be popular and well-reviewed. As a student of medieval history, I was pleased to see that, not only was the information correct, but it included facts beyond what would normally be found in succinct, age-appropriate overviews (rare as they are). The material covered, along with the language, is not overly simplified. As a librarian working with both middle and high school students, it is incredibly difficult to find historical material on this subject that falls between elementary grades and college/graduate level, so books like this are especially welcome. Due to the irreverent approach to the history itself, this book may initially appear to be aimed at younger readers, however, I could see this being placed in a high school or middle school level library collection

In addition to an index, this book also has a pretty handy table of contents that is actually more useful than many other reference (or reference-like) sources. Each of the main sections, such as “Family Matters” - is further divided into smaller areas of focus (marriage, divorce, women’s roles etc…) which makes finding specific information fairly straightforward. Furthermore, each chapter (including the images used) includes footnotes, and some decent bits of primary source quotations and information as well.

While this book may have been written as an extracurricular, yet informative read, it can absolutely be used by students as a solid reference source.

Were you ever interested how life was in medieval times? Well, with this useful guide you will get all information you need to survive in these brutal and hard circumstances. Compared to medieval man, modern man is pretty weak and without necessary knowledge and skills for that time.

The book offers many answers and information in order to blend in with locals during the back in time adventure. Expect discomfort, dirt, hard work and language difficulties.

The reader learns about social structure and housing, beliefs and religious ideas, clothing and appearance, food and shopping, health and medicine, work and leisure, family matters, warfare and law and order. And all that with a great humour, witt and intelligible narrative, illustrations and photographs.

Superb book for all history enthusiasts!

A fun introduction to (ideas and theories about) daily life in the later Middle Ages, especially suited to teens and young adults.

If this book would be classified as such (Teens & YA section) I would happily rate it 4 stars, because the tone and language used seem aimed at young readers and it is very engaging for them. Also, this book will be great as a companion to a history class in middle school and/or high school.

For adult readers, IMHO, the tone and depth of information offered, is lacking a bit.

Author Toni Mount has such a clever way with phrasing words! Medieval life wouldn't have been all that funny but Mount uses wit and humour to inform and tell stories in a fascinating and engaging way. The book is chock full of interesting information, definitions, conversations and illustrations which will be critical for us twenty first century time travelers as we navigate the medieval era. We go on a journey and meet many people on the way, including their expressions and vernacular of the time. Brilliant. We watch their interactions, where they bake and eat, what they do at their jobs and at home, what and how they eat and drink and the hats they wear.

I have read every book on the topic that I can get my hands on and was excited to see this one. I learned more about the strict Forest Law, professions (inconsistent spellers need not be concerned), how to create Jowtes with Almond Milk, laws to regulate the length of long-toe shoes, the reason for cushions in the bath, busted medical myths, marriage vows, sharing a bed complete with a stranger and fleas at a guesthouse, entertainment, currency and loads more. Not only that but the author includes essential definitions for herriot, paliasse, solar, frumenty, codwainer, ayren, deodand and the origin of words including amaze and upper crust. I will not see "goose bumps" in the same light again!

This entertaining book should be on everyone's list if you are even remotely interested in the Medieval time period and how people lived then. For those of you who may be concerned, it is not written like a dry textbook. Far from it.

My sincere thank you to Pen & Sword and NetGalley for the privilege of reading this superb book! I enjoyed it thoroughly.

I really enjoyed this book; it is both historically accurate and humourous. I'd describe it as a less grizzly version of the horrible histories series, but for adults. The layout kept the pace and held the readers interest, and I especially appreciated the parts which showed how certain words came to us from medieval times. I hope the author will write more in this series

Thank you NetGalley and Pen & Sword History for this eARC in exchange for a review.

This was very interesting and engaging. As somebody who loves history, I find some texts can be very daunting to read and over complicated. However, this book was very informative whilst making Medieval history very accessible for a multitude of readers. A great easy read for anybody wanting to dabble into the medieval world!

That was so much fun! I loved the travel guide style, with all the tropes you'd expect to find in one.

I have to confess, history was one of my least favourite subjects in school, and I never developed an interest in it later. I recently read a couple of fictional books set in medieval times, though, so when I saw this book I was curious to learn more.

It was an accessible and fun overview of life in the Middle Ages (although it seemed to focus more on 11-14th centuries). It was all interesting (maybe the parts about warfare and law less so for me), but I particularly loved finding out things like word origins, or why the tax year end on 5th April here!

May have to buy the book for a few friends I kept pestering with quotes!

As the author writes in the preface, “This book is intended as a handy guide to the dos and don’ts for visitors to Medieval England.” It’s a clever way to explore just what life was like in England between 1154 and 1485, and how you would live if you somehow ended up in that place at that time.

Topics include housing, food, employment, language, hygiene, medicine, religion, law, social stratifications, dress, and even sex.

For every topic, the author includes a section called “Did You Know” with lots of fun facts about the time, often relating to the origin of words we use now from back then. Sometimes there are also sections called “Top Tip” that gives you a useful piece of information you will need for success, such as to keep your purse hidden out of sight. As the author writes: “Medieval thieves are known as ‘cut-purses’ for a reason.”

I loved these language insights. As another example, the author points out: “The connection between bells and time-keeping is so close the word ‘clock’ is a misspelling of the French word ‘cloche’, meaning ‘a bell.’” Also, since it was the custom that married women covered their hair, a “loose” woman was one wearing her hair loose and uncovered, and therefore likely to be “of easy virtue.”

You will also learn from whence come the phrases “straight-laced,” “upper crust,” and “baker’s dozen.” You will find out why doctors couldn’t also be surgeons, and how “gossiping” came about.

Evaluation: This is altogether a very entertaining book and well as an enlightening one, and will satisfy the curiosity of those who wonder how they would fare in a world with no toothpaste, antibiotics, or fast food.

I received How to Survive in Medieval England as part of a NetGalley giveaway.

If you were to travel back in time to medieval England, what would you eat? Or wear? What would your living conditions be like? What would your profession be? How to Survive in Medieval England seeks to answer those questions on at least a basic level, with this easy-to-consume primer on daily life.

This was a neat little book, a quick read that would do well for anyone wanting an introduction to the world of medieval England. So often we get histories where we hear about great political events, but rarely do we hear about the minutiae of daily life for the masses. In particular, it would be useful for any historical fiction author interested in writing about the period, as it gives a lot of interesting detail about the circumstances and realities of everyday people. A couple segments seemed a bit juvenile and silly, such as the "interviews" with historic figures, but on the whole this was a neat and fun read.