The Pastons and their England: Studies in an Age of Transition (Canto original series)

by Henry Stanley Bennett

The Paston letters have long exercised a tremendous fascination for their capacity to recreate in vivid detail the lives of an ordinary well-to-do fifteenth-century family. H. S. Bennett's classic study recreates beautifully their historical context and offers the additional perspectives provided by the letters of their correspondents: bishops and serving men, prisoners and dukes, priests and ribald companions. Among the intriguing areas of late medieval life which are explored are marriage, women's lives, education, travelling, the law and lawlessness, the clergy and the changing face of the English countryside. This account of the Pastons' England reveals an age of historical transition as it was played out in the daily challenges of individual lives.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Medieval History

308 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 1968

Reviews

[Eleanor]

This is a lovely window into a different world. I found I preferred the parts that covered daily life and interrelationships over the politics of the day. This book can be easily put down and picked back up as each chapter almost stands on its own. The prose is a bit stiff, but this book was written in a different era than now. I had to read this long ago for my British History class in college, but it's not a "homework" book.

[David Warner]

Dated, but still invaluable guide to the world of the Paston family by an expert in medieval English manors and rural life.

[Stephanie]

In this fascinating study, Bennett utilizes primary source docs (the Paston Letters) to recreate the lives of an ordinary (albiet well-to-do) family. Nice place to start if you are more interested in social/cultural history of the period (15th century).

[Belle Meade School]

942.09