Book 22: The Time Traveler's Guide to Medieval England

The Time Traveler's Guide to Medieval England: A Handbook for Visitors to the Fourteenth Century

Ian Mortimer

While I must admit that I was a bit disappointed to discover that this book was not, in fact, a story about a modern-day time traveler being zapped back to the 1300s, I was immediately encouraged by author Ian Mortimer's introductory notes, which promise readers a different kind of historical experience than the dry slogs that permeate the field. After all, as an unapologetic history major and a lifelong history buff myself, I can hardly stand the endless litany of history books that treat the past as something distant, dusty, and done. In his Time Traveler's Guide to Medieval England, Mortimer valiantly attempts a more immersive approach, to provide a more immersive experience, reminding readers that the world of medieval England was, indeed, a real-time, lived experience much as our own. Though he occasionally succumbs to some of the tried and true flaws of history writing- and, ironically, would derive significant benefits from adopting some of them- the book is a much livelier account of a long-bygone era than many (if not most) others.

Mortimer's somewhat unique approach to historical documentation is evident throughout the book, from his intuitive use of present-tense narration to the organization and order of his chapters, which are clearly inspired by more conventional travel guides. But despite Mortimer's commitment to making history come alive as he describes the small details of medieval life, the account often bows to the pressure of precedent and becomes a litany of fact after fact. Mortimer has wisely chosen to focus broadly on only one century, the 14^th, but his subject-based approach suffers from a lack of a clear narrative or any sort of drive; the time travel conceit is a clever one but is more evident in theory than actual practice. This lack of direction is made more egregious by the lack of a timeline or other basic references for readers previously unacquainted with this period in English history; there are plenty of references to monarchs and events to provide sufficient context for the social trends that Mortimer describes, but the uninitiated will only sit and wonder where the Richards, Henrys, and Edwards fit in. Several informative charts are included, and do provide helpful information, but to exclude a basic timeline of reigns and significant historical events seems a grave error, even for a book so intent on avoiding this kind of Great Man/Great Event approach to history.

Thus appears the great contradiction in Mortimer's book. Though he obviously understands the importance of small-scale stories and the ability of everyday events to function as an effective window into the past, he is unable to fully captivate the reader without the kind of framework he consciously avoids. Snippets of narrative motion appear throughout the book, as in Mortimer's account of changing fashions and his tantalizing, yet ultimately unfulfilling, references to the vast social and political consequences of the Black Death, but it is nonetheless difficult to sustain interest as facts march by endlessly on parade. Mortimer should be commended for his attempt to enliven history, and indeed most readers should find many moments of excitement as they see themselves and their interests reflected herein; I myself found myself particularly engaged during a lively discussion and comparison of four of the era's literary geniuses. And in some respects, Mortimer does achieve his ultimate goal: it is eminently clear at the beginning, throughout, and at the end of the book that the most important thing to consider when studying history is our shared humanity. By showing us how medieval Englishmen (and –women) ate, dressed, governed, and lived on a daily basis, Mortimer allows us to imagine ourselves in their places and, in a small way, to become time travelers ourselves. The Time Traveler's Guide to Medieval England may not be the kind of immersive text that its author intended, but it is a useful resource for those wishing to explore what life in 14^th-century England may have been like, in a more lively manner than most historians currently offer.

Grade: B+