I was keen to read this book as I have followed Daniele on Twitter and also read her 5 Minute Medievalist. Her writing is easy to read and almost like we are chatting. I find this much easier to learn stuff.
So Life in Medieval Europe isn’t just long chronological history of the period but lots and lots of self contained questions and answers corralled into various facets of medieval life. It has lots fo Q & A type content which I am guessing is in response to the mainly conversations she has on social media.
What I found useful was the little, easy snippets to remember – great little facts for using if you are a living history or re-enactor. There really is a lot of useful bits of information. Such as how they treated wounds. Did they use Soap? And the most important question for me – weren’t medieval people always fighting? (It feels like it). The Nasty and Brutish chapter a particular favourite.
As well as that, there were more detailed answers, some great images and explanations.
Anyone studying any Medieval HEMA treatise should pick up this book as it will help put some of the things we do into a wider context. Which I feel is important if you want to try and recreate the art as it was.
This book will stay on my desk and will be a well thumbed book for sure.
You can buy the book here from Pen and Sword books.
Please note I was not paid to write this review but was sent a review copy of the book. All comments are my own, and the publishers have not amended the review in any way.