Stephen Wade’s A History of Criminal Tudor England is a fascinating exploration of the darker side of Tudor society, revealing a world where crime, justice, religion and politics were inseparable. Rather than focusing solely on the famous monarchs or notorious executions, Wade examines how ordinary people encountered the law, creating a vivid portrait of everyday […]
Michael Brown’s The Medieval Pilgrim: The Roads to Salvation is a fascinating and highly accessible journey into one of the defining experiences of medieval life. Rather than simply describing famous pilgrimage routes, Brown explores the beliefs, hopes and fears that drove thousands of ordinary people to leave the safety of their homes and travel across […]
Brian Burfield’s Medieval Military Medicine is a fascinating and highly readable exploration of how wounded soldiers were treated during one of the most violent and medically challenging periods in European history. Covering the years from around 1300 to 1550, the book looks at the transition from traditional weapons such as swords, arrows and pikes to […]
Alexandra Sills’ Gladiators in the Greek World is a fascinating and original study that challenges one of the biggest assumptions about the ancient world—that gladiatorial combat was purely a Roman phenomenon. Instead, Sills demonstrates that the Greek-speaking eastern Mediterranean embraced gladiatorial spectacle in its own distinctive way, blending Roman traditions with local customs and creating […]