tilda_bookworm's review against another edition
Not super gripping but I might return to it at some point.
teriboop's review
2.0
This book was not at all what I thought it would be. Well, maybe it was half of what I expected. I came across this book and saw Terry Jones' name attached to it. I'm a history nut and a Monty Python fan. My expectation is that Terry Jones' Medieval Lives would blend some factual details of the way people lived during the medieval era with the lively humor of Monty Python. I was wrong, so very wrong. I indeed got a diatribe of medieval life, which may or may not be 100% factual. It does seem well researched, but I suspect that some liberties in conclusions were made. There was no humor, whatsoever. Very disappointing on that account. If I had wanted to read dry and boring, I would have picked up my 7th grade history book (written about 40 years ago).
If you're okay with straight information, compacting four centuries in 200 pages, then this is the book for you. For me, it was disappointment. I learned a little along the way, but mostly I feel asleep every 20 pages or so.
If you're okay with straight information, compacting four centuries in 200 pages, then this is the book for you. For me, it was disappointment. I learned a little along the way, but mostly I feel asleep every 20 pages or so.
elenajohansen's review against another edition
2.0
Stylistically inconsistent. I was drawn in by the first half, which debunked a lot of myths and tropes about the lives of commoners in the Middle Ages, but from the "Philosopher" chapter onwards, I felt like I was reading a different book. It became scattered in topic and tone, reeling from one historical figure to the next with little context given, a string of anecdotes about famous names instead of a systematic investigation of how modern thought is wrong about medieval times and why. I honestly struggled to finish, as the whole book assumed a familiarity with minute details of England's history (which I, as an American who never had to study the subject for school, lack) that only worsened in the later chapters. The small moments of wry humor throughout were a nice touch, but they were few and far between.
hollyeula's review against another edition
5.0
An excellent overview of the middle ages -- concise, informative and entertaining! The book was organized according to occupation, rather than timeline.
cthuwu's review against another edition
5.0
Terry J is my fave python and finding out that he was a history nerd made him even more appealing. A nice light read with interesting facts
valjeanval's review against another edition
4.0
I think I picked this up off a 2.99 sale just because it was Terry Jones. Since one of my reading goals this year is more nonfiction, I finally got around to reading it. It's a very quick read and yet full of trope-destroying information each chapter of which could fuel a unique novel in its own right. Did you know monastic orders forbid eating meat except in the infirmary, so all the monks started taking their meals in there? Did you know Shakespeare's Richard III is almost entirely drawn from Tudor propaganda? Maybe you did. Maybe you read about medieval history all the time. But if you don't and would like an easy to read dip in archaeological records of the middle ages, I definitely recommend this one.
tasmanian_bibliophile's review against another edition
4.0
History doesn't have to be boring.
This slender volume contains some neatly presented information about life in the Middle Ages (defined as 1066 to 1536), and introduces humour and colour into the mix. Be warned, though, its real value is in providing a panoramic view of the times rather than a detailed snapshot of the events. If you want or need more detail, you’d be well advised to delve in to the bibliography provided.
Still, it’s hard not to wonder about why nobody ever mentions King Louis the First (and Last). And which monks were forbidden the delights of donning underpants (and why)? Did medieval people think the world was flat? Not according to Terry Jones and Alan Ereira, who advise that this was an invention of a French antireligious academic (Antoine-Jean Letronne) and the American novelist Washington Irving during the 19th century.
Under the headings of Peasant, Minstrel, Outlaw, Monk, Philosopher, Knight, Damsel and King are vignettes which serve to bring some meaning to these headings and some context to some of the names that readers may remember from history. For example, the stories of Blondel (Minstrel) and William Marshal (Knight).
A fun and entertaining read for those looking to a light-hearted but informative snapshot of the times.