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    Life in a Medieval City
    Life in a Medieval City
    Life in a Medieval City
    Audiobook6 hours

    Life in a Medieval City

    Written by Frances Gies and Joseph Gies

    Narrated by Anne Flosnik

    4/5

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    About this audiobook

    Life in a Medieval City is the classic account of the year 1250 in the city of Troyes, in modern-day France. Acclaimed historians Frances and Joseph Gies focus on a high point of medieval civilization-before war and the Black Death ravaged Europe-providing a fascinating window into the sophistication of a period we too often dismiss as backward.

    Urban life in the Middle Ages revolved around the home, often a mixed-use dwelling for burghers with a store or workshop on the ground floor and living quarters upstairs. A developed economy, focusing on textiles, farming, and financial services, could be found in the town center, where craftsmen competed for business while adhering to the guilds' codes of conduct. There were schools for the children, though only boys could attend and the lessons were taught in Latin by a priest. The church was a hub of both religious and civic life; services were lively and filled with song, and baptisms and other special occasions brought neighbors together to celebrate. The weddings of wealthier townsfolk were lavish affairs full of song and dance and drinking that could sometimes last for weeks.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTantor Media, Inc
    Release dateAug 15, 2017
    ISBN9781541480605
    Author

    Frances Gies

    Frances (1915–2013) and Joseph (1916–2006) Gies were the world’s bestselling historians of medieval Europe. Together and separately, they wrote more than twenty books, which col-lectively have sold more than a million copies. They lived in Michigan.

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    Reviews for Life in a Medieval City

    4/5

    162 ratings9 reviews

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    • 4/5
      It’s a good and informative book.

      However, I wish they had chosen a narrator who has a better French accent for the plethora of French names and quotes.
      The deepening of her voice when quoting male dialogue gets old quickly as well.
    • 5/5
      I learned a ton! I love all these details of daily life, plus the quotations from people at the time. It really put things into perspective, the Middle Ages wasn’t all knights and glory- it wasn’t even mostly that! Loved the details about church services, women’s lives, and entertainment. I also appreciated the inclusion of Jews and what their situation was like in the city. Usually medieval studies just ignore them… which is dumb and anti-Semitic. I liked learning more about the Jewish population in France at the time.

      If you like the medieval period at all or you just want to correct some of your suppositions about the “Dark Ages,” you’ll enjoy this!
    • 4/5
      The author uses the city of Troyes as it existed in 1250 AD as the exemplar, and tackles the major institutions and occupations in separate (but connected) chapters. Though this would be useful in a history course, it is not written in a dry, academic style; instead, her style is easy to read, interesting, and flows well. The topics are well researched and referenced for those wishing to delve deeper into a subject.
    • 4/5
      Using Troyes, a 13th century French town boasting two annual fairs, numerous aspects of medieval life across the classes are discussed highlighting the advances that separate "current" Troyes from the Dark Ages: the burgeoning of business and all of the legal and monetary advances this entails, manufacturing and construction processes, the formation/solidification of town governments, and daily life and its major moments (weddings, childbirth, funerals). Not unlucky to be born now."Most of the masonry work consists of old, long-practiced technique. The Romans maneuvered bigger blocks into position than any that medieval masons tackle. On the Pont du Gard there are stones eleven feet in length. But medieval masons are steadily improving their ability to handle large masses of stone. The Romans habitually built without mortar, dressing their stones accurately enough so that walls and arches stood simply by their own weight." Aaaaand now I need an overview of the Roman Empire.
    • 4/5
      Life in a Medieval City takes the reader on a systematic exploration of different aspects of life in a town called Troyes in 13th century France.One was struck by how deeply uncomfortable life was for even the most wealthy of 13th century city dwellers; they lived in drafty cold houses that were infested with fleas and bedbugs.This was counterbalanced by the book’s discussion of the energetic religious, commercial, and legal activities that were developing at this time. It is possible to imagine a Europe that was gearing up for the Renaissance and the Industrial Revolution.This book is written in a lively and engaging manner that catches the idiosyncrasies of this time and place, and is possessed of a sly sense of humour.
    • 5/5
      For as long as I can remember, I have been interested in both medieval life and culture – the way in which people of the era lived, survived and managed their day-to-day lives. As a kid I was fascinated with dragons (I still am), and knights..and swords..and castles, and yes magic. Some of these, of course, have little to do with the real life of the middle ages – at least that of battling fiery dragons and sea serpents, but the time in general has always struck something inside of myself – an interest that has grown stronger with time (which is partially due to my love of fantasy novels). For this reason, I have decided to take this fascination to the next level and actually do some real research! That is why I purchased the book “Life in a Medieval City” by Joseph and Francis Gies.Life in a Medieval City by Joseph and Francis Gies covers a huge range of topics and issues – essentially anything you can think of when it comes to a Medieval City – at least the city of Troyes. The book focuses in on the city in the year of 1250 – a year in which, as described by the book, was a relatively safe and prosperous time. A time where society and civilization had truly begun to progress and advance, from medicine to architecture, to schools and to business.While many history related books tend to bore me – not necessarily because of the content within, but because of the writing itself – I found that “Life in a Medieval City” did more than an adequate job of not only education and enlightening, but doing so without ever becoming dull or robotic. The writing didn’t drag on and on, the author was to the point, and the book in its entirety was written in a more down-to-earth tone. This format, along with the wealthy abundance of interesting content – truly made for a compelling and informative read. I found myself immersed within nearly each page, and came out knowing far more about the subject than I had when going in.Oh, and did I mention that “Life in a Medieval City” is completely jam packed with information? Just looking at the index had had me salivating. From homes, to churches, to medieval housewives, to childbirth and children, to weddings, funerals, schools, businesses, doctors, natural disasters and more – nearly every aspect of Troyes was covered. Along with this, there were several great illustrations – artwork of the time, as well as actual photos of the city as it stands today. I personally found the chapter on doctors and medicine to be most fascinating – but was was intrigued by the chapters on home life. I’ve always had an interest in the people of that era; of how they spent their daily lives and simply lived. There was a great deal of material on this, and I found enjoyment in every bit. It was also quite interesting to compare and contrast life as it is today, with life as it was then – to note the things that have changed so much, as well as the things that really haven’t.Overall this was a great and informative work. From the large array of topics, to the excellent writing – I have very few qualms when it comes to this. After finishing “Life in a Medieval City”, I can definitely say that I have learned so much – and would certainly suggest it to those who may be like myself; those who have an interest in medieval studies but have never actually put that interest into action. In other words, this is an excellent starting point when it comes to studies of the Medieval era – especially when it comes to the medieval city. I’ll also say that the two authors have several other published works on the subject, including “Life in a Medieval Village,” “Life in a Medieval Castle,” “Marriage and the Family in the Middle Ages,” “Technology and Invention in the Middle Ages“ and more – all of which have rather favorable reviews.As you can probably tell, I was quite pleased with this read and will continue to delve further into the studies of medieval life. This book has a lot of re-readability, and is a great overview of what the city of Troyes was like in the year 1250. Not only was it informative – but it was full of life. While reading “Life in a Medieval City,” I felt as though the words brought out the true essence of the time – for it wasn’t simply a compiled list of already established information – but a nicely structured piece of work, with great detail and vivid description. Overall this was a fascinating read, and I again, would recommend it to anyone interested in the Middle Ages.
    • 4/5
      As with Life In A Medieval Castle, the authors have collected a great deal of information and created an entertaining and informative read.I found the sections on Small and Big Business, as well as the description of the evolution of modern credit and banking, to be very interesting.
    • 5/5
      This is a good medieval history book; concise, well written and entertaining.
    • 5/5
      wonderful survey level fare.