The Time Traveller's Guide to ... England

I read two of Ian Mortimer's Time Traveller's Guides: to Medieval Engliand (2008) and to Elizabethan England (2012). 

At first, I wanted to read about Elizabethan England since I’m interested in the Tudors, in the Elizabethan Era and in Shakespeare. But I realized that much of the information about England in medieval times would still be true in Elizabeth’s reign. So it seemed to make more sense to read the earlier Guide first, and then get a better idea of how life – and England – had changed.

These are principally history books, but with quite a difference. Mortimer writes as if the reader were a tourist who will visit Medieval and Elizabethan England. He addresses the reader directly; for example, in describing the approach to the city of Exeter (in the Medieval book) he writes,” It is the cathedral which you will see first. As you journey along the road you come to a break in the trees and there it is, massive and magnificent, cresting the hill top in the morning sun.”

Mortimer explains his approach as:

“The approach is based on the philosophy that history is not about the past per se but about people, and that the main purpose of studying history is to understand the human race over time - its cruelties and suffering as well as its pleasures and achievements. Only by coming to terms with different centuries can we form a proper appreciation of our own kind and how we behave generally, and see ourselves in greater depth than is possible than in the superficial mirror of the present moment.”

Each chapter addresses the aspects of life that would be of most concern to a tourist:

• The Landscape
• The People; Character
• Religion (in the Elizabethan Guide)
• Basic Essentials
• What to Wear
• Travelling
• Where to Stay
• What to Eat and Drink
• Health and Hygiene / Illness and Medicine
• The Law
• What to Do / Entertainment

Each section is further broken down into different areas; for example, the What to Wear section covers both men and women’s clothing, broken down for a range of classes, and describes specific items of clothing.

There is an incredible amount of detail, and all of the information is extremely interesting. Mortimer gives such a clear picture of what different cities and the countryside were like and how the people lived – from the lowest peasant to the nobility.

Although I love to read all types of history books, these were two of the most captivating I have ever read. The main difference in choosing which book to read is the period of time you are interested in.