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69th out of 602 books
—
708 voters
Terry Jones' Medieval Lives
Famous for lampooning the medieval world in Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Terry Jones has a real passion for and detailed knowledge of the Middle Ages. In Terry Jones' Medieval Lives, his mission is to rescue the Middle Ages from moth-eaten cliches and well-worn platitudes. Behind the stereotypes of "damsels in distress" and "knights in shining armor," there are wonderf...more
Paperback, 224 pages
Published
May 1st 2005
by BBC Books
(first published February 1st 2004)
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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 th...more
We've all fallen from time to time to imaginations of life in the medieval era- hapless and starving peasants, pious and stick-thin monks, and knights gallant riding away to rescue King & Kingdom. But was it really the case?
From the cover
In Terry Jones' Medieval Lives, his mission is to rescue the Middle Ages from moth-eaten cliches and well-worn platitudes. Behind the stereotypes of "damsels in distress" and "knights in shining armor," there are wonderfully human stories that bring the pe...more
From the cover
In Terry Jones' Medieval Lives, his mission is to rescue the Middle Ages from moth-eaten cliches and well-worn platitudes. Behind the stereotypes of "damsels in distress" and "knights in shining armor," there are wonderfully human stories that bring the pe...more
You know how school teachers can (and they often do) make history the most boring thing ever - well,here is a little,short and sweet book that would thrill anybody who was ever been bored in a school. Some 200 pages with very funny stories and anecdotes about real people in medieval times,as opposite to myths and legends later fabricated centuries later. Forget (almost) everything you have ever heard about Knights and dirty peasants and damsel in distress and such things - they wouldn't know wha...more
Searching for a book that could provide an overview of the Middle Ages, I found Terry Jones' Medieval Lives. Delightfully written, it explores the diverse period of almost six hundred years commonly referred to as 'Medieval times' examining life, death and everything in-between from a range of angles and points of view. Chapters focus on specific roles over this period such as 'knight', 'monk', 'damsel', 'minstrel', 'king' and 'peasant' to name a few. Jones also examines the origin of various my...more
This is a truly fascinating examination of life in the Middle Ages. Divided according to the roles various people played (Monk, Philosopher, Peasant, Knight etc.), the book tries to expose the truth behind some of the misconceptions that have arisen surrounding life in medieval Britain. Some reviewers have complained that a 200-page book is not long enough to truly do the subject justice, but that would be to somewhat miss the point. This book is intended as an introduction to the subject, not a...more
Dec 28, 2010
Estara
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Estara by:
Madeleine Robbins
Shelves:
ebook,
read-in-2010
I don't know how much Terry Jones has to do with this book, although I know that a TV series exists with this set-up, but Alan Ereira certainly has written a readable, well-documented (the ebook version uses the ability of footnotes to great effect) book on what the English Middle Ages were according to the current state of historical research in comparison to the cliché the media and former times have encouraged.
Unfortunately the nice footnote-technique in the ebook version has to balance the h...more
Unfortunately the nice footnote-technique in the ebook version has to balance the h...more
I watched and enjoyed a short TV series (and Kate Beaton comic series!) based off this book, so when I saw it on the sale rack at the local book store I couldn't resist! I really enjoyed how this book humanized the lives of people from an entire era wrought with modern misinformation. As much as I love nineteenth century medieval fiction (I'm looking at you Ivanhoe) this book did a really good job of illustrating just how flawed those images of history really are.
The best chapter was on the rol...more
The best chapter was on the rol...more
Terry Jones has written an entertaining & informative look at a number of stereotypical roles such as peasant, knight, damsel etc. and using numerous historical examples shows us how these stereotypes are wrong and where these preconceptions came from. A brilliant book highly recommended to anyone with even a passing interest in history though some might find the humour irritating after a while. My only query about the book is how common the examples he uses actually were in medieval times a...more
Terry Jones' Medieval Lives is an excellent book that challenges the preconceptions many of us have about how life was in the Middle Ages. He discusses the political, social and martial themes of the time, dosed with a prejudiced amount of his famous wit, and at the end presents the casual reader with an excellent alternate view of the period from approximately 1066 A.D. to about 1400 A.D. from what we have commonly romanticized about that period.
Jones divides his book into sections, discussing...more
Jones divides his book into sections, discussing...more
I hadn't seen the TV series which this accompanies but I did know of the Former Python's keen interest in History so I was sure I was in for a good book. I'm glad I wasn't dissapointed.
An extremely informative book, it debunks the whole concept of the "Middle Ages" as a Reformation construct and sets about trying to present an accurate picture of life post Norman invasion and up until the end of the War of the Roses. By taking the stereotypes of the Medieval era such as peasent, minstrel, damsel...more
An extremely informative book, it debunks the whole concept of the "Middle Ages" as a Reformation construct and sets about trying to present an accurate picture of life post Norman invasion and up until the end of the War of the Roses. By taking the stereotypes of the Medieval era such as peasent, minstrel, damsel...more
May 26, 2009
Lori
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommended to Lori by:
Medieval Literature Professor from Stockton
A general overview of the "Middle Ages" divided by categories of occupation. If you like learning about how history is distorted according to who is telling it, this is a nice book. Full of facts like how people in the Middle Ages did not think that the world was flat. Knights were not romantic figures, outlaws were glorified by everyday people, and even though 'trial by jury' was introduced at this time the jury would have included witnesses and the person that accused.
This is a really great introduction to the various groups of people that were important in the Middle Ages. Jones is great at dispelling myths about the medieval world, reminding his readers that they can't just lump all women, peasants, knights, etc. into one category. It's important to remember that times were fluid and changing; Jones does this in an informative yet entertaining fashion. Highly recommended for those who want to learn more about medieval times.
A very lighthearted history of medieval England, written as an overview of stereotypical characters (peasants, monks, knights, etc). Definitely an easy read, but filled with a decent amount of information. Not all the Good Guys were good, not all the Bad Guys were bad, and not all of the poor, wretched people were that badly off. I had trouble following some of the chapters (especially Knights and Kings), but only because my knowledge of actual English medieval history is pretty weak.
A fresh and absorbing take on topics medieval that often surprises. This book is packed with interesting tidbits, but they don't cloud the forest. The book is divided into meditations on classes of people including peasants, monks, knights, philosophers, damsels, and, lastly, kings. The few pages written on the three Richards are almost worth the price - and we see that propaganda machines are definitely nothing new. Delightful, quick but thought provoking reading.
Entertainingly written, with an eye for facts and stories that grab the modern imagination. The book seems to love its iconoclasm quite a bit -- a prodigious number of the stories seem to undermine "known truths", which suggests either the unreliability of "known truths" or the sensationalism of the text...or maybe some of both.
I feel like checking in with my historian friends to see what they think. A fun book, regardless, but I'll like it better were I slightly more confident that it is a more...more
I feel like checking in with my historian friends to see what they think. A fun book, regardless, but I'll like it better were I slightly more confident that it is a more...more
A quick and easy read. I love history books anyway, but this book takes history and provides us with interesting facts and oftentimes humorous truths above a much misconceived era of history. It seems much of our ideas and thoughts on history are off, in many cases, completely wrong. Definitely recommend this book for those looking for interesting and easy reads.
I'm very fond of the idea that a member of Monty Python's Flying Circus wrote this. Because if a comedian can become a historian, theoretically we all should be able to change careers two, or three, or twelve times.
Also, I love Jones' idea that jesters, jongleurs, and minstrels were pushing the envelope of culture and history-- moving society forward with fart jokes.
Nice change of perspective.
Also, I love Jones' idea that jesters, jongleurs, and minstrels were pushing the envelope of culture and history-- moving society forward with fart jokes.
Nice change of perspective.
A fun book, but a bit of a pop history. Whilst it is packed with things you didn't know the book doesn't move much beyond that. There's no extended analysis, no real purpose, the chapter on women's roles approaches this. Can't help but fill that a collection of essays with purpose and critical analysis would have been more fulfilling.
A popular history book that accompanied a BBC series (which I did not see) It makes no pretence of exploring any subject in depth, however Jones manages to debunk a lot of common ideas about the medieval period, including the very definition itself. He argues that the Middle Ages are a construct of later historians and show as much change from beginning to end as can be found in the years between the two Queens Elizabeth.
He takes various professions: minstrel, monk, damsel, knight, king and teas...more
He takes various professions: minstrel, monk, damsel, knight, king and teas...more
Dec 18, 2011
Meaghan
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
history,
read-in-2011
I've seen the Medieval Lives TV series and this is just as good, though each contains information not found in the other. This is serious history, but Terry Jones, being Terry Jones, is able to insert plenty of humor. Highly recommended for high school and college classrooms, and for anyone interested in medieval history.
This book had won me over before I even bought it. And I was not disappointed (until the last chapter) because it is exactly what you think it would be - a popular history book stuffed with interesting info on everyday lives of regular people.
And that's where the 5th star from my review disappears - the chapter about King. King is not a regular person, I obviously realize that, but I believed of all books this one would describe king as a private person. Unfortunately, what you get is a regular...more
And that's where the 5th star from my review disappears - the chapter about King. King is not a regular person, I obviously realize that, but I believed of all books this one would describe king as a private person. Unfortunately, what you get is a regular...more
I think this book is a must read fo anyone even remotely interested into medieval times. It gives so much information you never knew, and corrects the things Holywood has thought us.. and more importantly: It is never boring.
Famous for lampooning the medieval world in Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Terry Jones has a real passion for and detailed knowledge of the Middle Ages. In Terry Jones' Medieval Lives, his mission is to rescue the Middle Ages from moth-eaten cliches and well-worn platitudes. Behind the stereotypes of "damsels in distress" and "knights in shining armor," there are wonderfully human stories that bring the period to life. Terry will start with the medieval archetypes—the Knight, Peasant, Damsel,...more
A fun and quick read (both important traits for a history book). Some of the material covered stuff I've read over the last 20 years but there was also some new material epsecially concerning the unheard of kings of England. Definitely leaves you wanting to dig more into some of the subjects of the book.
Good light read. Lots of interesting ideas that dispel some incorrect ideas of what life was like in medieval England, but not a lot of facts and examples to back up the ideas.
I enjoyed this book. It was a quick read with some good information. I enjoyed that it was not as dry as so many historical non fiction books but still was full of information. I am looking forward to reading the Barbarians books by the same authors.
A good supplementary book to the BBC Series. (Yay Netflix!) Terry Jones is consistently funny and informative. And a few passages in the book are surprisingly poetic.
Not bad. Quite revealing and clarifies a lot of myths about the period. Love the final line :-) I thought it was quite short of citations while I was reading it, though I recognise it is not a text book. Once i got to the end, however, I had a look at the bibliography and realised it was better researched than i had realised. Good fun. I'd recommend it to anyone who has an amateur interest in history, as opposed to serious students.
Interesting light read which really challenges some of the pre concieved notions we have about times in the middle ages. Worth a look
Easily-read, good-humoured, full of fascinating informat5ion. Quite short, though.
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Terence Graham Parry Jones is a Welsh comedian, screenwriter and actor, film director, children's author, popular historian, political commentator and TV documentary host. He is best known as a member of the Monty Python comedy team.
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updated Sep 21, 2008 11:01am