Bond Men Made Free: Medieval Peasant Movements and the English Rising of 1381

by R.H. Hilton

Rodney Hilton's account of the Peasant's Revolt of 1381 remains the classic authoritative text on the 'English Rising'. Hilton views the revolt in the context of a genral European pattern of class conflict. He demonstrates that the peasant movements that disturbed the Middle Ages were not mere unrelated outbreaks of violence but had their roots in common economic and political conditions and in a recurring conflict of interest between peasants and landowners. Now with a new introduction by Christopher Dyer, this survey is still a leading source for students of medieval English peasantry.

Genres: History, Medieval, Nonfiction, British Literature, European History, Medieval History

240 pages, Paperback

First published December 31, 1973

About the author

Rodney Howard Hilton FBA (17 November 1916 – 7 June 2002) was an English Marxist historian. Hilton had a long teaching career at the University of Birmingham where he specialised in late medieval English History and the transition from feudalism to capitalism.

Reviews

[Gareth Howells]

Difficult to find, but if you are interested in the events, it's worth finding it - the best and most powerful study on the Peasant's Revolt, and the movements that are comparable around the same time.

[David]

This was a good read, not because you could not put it down, but that you will look forward to picking it up again.
A very informative book on a period of history which is often ignored.

[Ryan Ward]

A bit dry but an in depth examination of the peasant movements in the early Middle Ages. A great reference.

[Alexis Kaelin]

What a great history and cultural artifact. I love a good Marxist historical treatment when I can find it ;)

[Carl Roberts]

A great look into not just 1381 but instead a number of late medieval lower class movements.

[Pedro Antônio]

O primeiro capítulo é muito rico em descrições e lembra bastante a historiografia francesa; os demais se valem de anedotas locais bem interessantes para reforçar as teses do autor

[Martin Empson]

"peasants struggled to maximise their share of the product of their own labour, and to try and avoid obligations to the lords beyond the absolutely necessity. However what is striking about the wider peasant movements discussed here, both in England and Europe, is the way that often peasants raised wider demands which challenged the nature of the feudal system.

To see this clearly, Hilton examines in detail the events of the Peasants' Revolt in England in 1381. The roots of this revolt, as discussed elsewhere, are complex. One key factor was the growing tendency for those in rural communities to demand increased wages, as a result of labour shortages following the decimation of the Black Death. This was recognised by the authorities who attempted, through various legislation, to limit wage rises and punish those calling for more. Hilton concludes that "it was serfdom and those things which flowed from the rights of lords over tenants which bulked largest in [peasant] grievances."

Full review: http://resolutereader.blogspot.co.uk/...

[Meagan]

My number one reading goal for 2016 is more nonfiction.

Sourced this recommendation from a pre-college History major reading list.