Reference Books

Astrology in the Middle Ages - $15.00
Theodore Otto Wedel. Astrology occupies a prominent place in the history of philosophy and science. Thirteenth-century scholars regarded the rule of the stars over human destiny as an indisputable fact, and theologians credited the stars with a power second only to that of God. This dissertation traces the development of medieval thought concerning astrology from the fifth through fifteenth centuries. It interprets astrological references from a fascinating variety of literary sources, including medieval romances and the works of Chaucer. 176pp. Pb.

The Book of the Courtier - $20.00
Baldassare Castiglione. An insider's view of court life and culture during the Renaissance, The Book of the Courtier is the handiwork of a diplomat who was called upon to resolve the differences in a war of etiquette among the Italian nobility. Set in 1507, when Castiglione was an attaché to the Duke of Urbino, the book consists of a series of fictional conversations between members of the Duke's retinue, who discuss the virtues and conduct of the ideal courtier. Translated into many languages after its 1528 publication, it became the ultimate resource on aristocratic manners, offering sixteenth-century readers a manual on how to behave. Today, it remains the most definitive account of life among the Renaissance nobility. 470pp. Pb.

Cities of the Renaissance World: Maps From Civitatis Orbis Terrarium - $79.00
Michael Swift & Angus Konstam. The first volume of the Civitates Orbis Terrarum was published in Cologne in 1572. This great city atlas, edited by Georg Braun and largely engraved by Franz Hogenberg, eventually contained 546 prospects, bird's eye views and maps of cities from all over the world. This book chooses 53 maps from Civitates - 65 cities from Cuzco in the Americas to Calcutta in the Indies - and interprets them, explaining what can be seen in the 16th century map, and how that differs from today's cities. 224pp. Hb.

Daily Life in the Middle Ages - $49.00
Richard Britnell. What was life like in the towns and villages of England in the late Middle Ages? A group of specialists here bring together the results of the latest researches to tell the fascinating story of how men and women lived in England from the time of Agincourt to the end of the Wars of the Roses and the establishment of the Tudor monarchy. This fully illustrated survey offers insights into all aspects of everyday life, whether at work, play or prayer. 234pp. Hb.

De Magnete - $31.00
William Gilbert. From the first great experimental scientist: the classic text, first published in Latin in 1600, summarizing all then known about magnetism and electricity, offering invaluable insights into the origins of modern science. Topics include phenomena of magnetism, variation in the compass, and concept of Earth as a giant magnet. 427pp. Pb.

De Re Metallica - $61.00
Georgius Agricola. One of the most important scientific classics of all time, this 1556 work on mining was the first based on field research and observation and the methods of modern science. 289 authentic Renaissance woodcuts. Translated by Herbert Hoover. 672pp Pb.

The Knights Next Door: Everyday People Living Middle Ages Dreams - $51.00
Patrick O'Donnell. This book recounts the author's attempts as a total "fish-out-of-water" newcomer to make sense of the unique Society for Creative Anachronism subculture, starting in 2001. It also tells the tales of the local time-traveling veterans who help him, of the interesting characters he meets on his journey and of a young fighter struggling through some personal and SCA troubles in his bid to become a Knight and King in this re-created medieval world. The author, a reporter for the Metro section of the Cleveland Plain Dealer newspaper, attended events across the USA and in Europe, made the clothes, made the armor and fought in the worlds-largest medieval battles at the SCA's biggest event, the Pennsic War, to give readers a behind-the-shield look at the modern medieval world. 296pp. Pb.

Life in Celtic Times - $10.00
A J Smith. Fourteen centuries of Celtic life and culture depicted in over 40 well-researched, excellently rendered illustrations. Intriguing scenes of an Iron-Age village, Glastonbury fishermen, farmers harvesting grain, Celtic warriors on horseback, St. Patrick driving the snakes out of Ireland and much more. Descriptive captions. 48pp. Pb.

Making a Living in the Middle Ages - $36.00
Christopher Dyer. Dramatic social and economic change during the middle ages altered the lives of the people of Britain in far-reaching ways, from the structure of their families to the ways they made their livings. In this engagingly written economic history, Christopher Dyer provides a vivid new account of British medieval life from the Viking invasions through the Norman conquest to the colonial expansion of the sixteenth century. 424pp. Pb.

Medieval Celebrations - $44.00
Daniel Diehl and Mark Donnelly. Medieval historians Diehl and Donnelly provide ideas and instructions for planning an authentic medieval celebration, complete with guidelines on proper table manners, lyrics and music for festive songs and dances, rules for games, plans for decorating the dining hall, food and drink recipes, and period costume patterns. Specific information is offered for holiday celebrations and wedding services and receptions. 192pp. Pb.

The Medieval Scene: An Informal Introduction to the Middle Ages - $14.00
G G Coulton. Vivid, eminently readable account by one of the foremost historians of the medieval period provides fascinating insights into the Church's role in village life, the development of towns and use of fields, the growth of chivalry and evolution of knighthood, monasticism, trade, and much more. 192pp. Pb.

The Middle Ages - $8.00
Edmund V Gillon, Jr. The pictures in this coloring book are real illustrations from the Middle Ages, dating from 1475 to 1500. Included are a knight swallowed by a monster, scenes from the bible, battles and combats, Jerusalem, agricultural activities, animals, etc. Over 50 illustrations. 48pp. Pb.

Osprey: The Tower of London: A 2000 Year History - $13.00
Geoffrey Parnell. The Tower of London is one of the most famous and well-visited landmarks in the world, with a fascinating history brought to life in a uniquely visual way for the first time through this stunning book. 14 specially commissioned paintings by the renowned historical reconstruction artist, Ivan Lapper show the Tower from its earliest pre-Roman days, right up to the start of this new millennium. A fascinating and engaging narrative by the official Keeper of Tower History, Geoffrey Parnell, brings the sights, sounds, events and characters of the past to life. 48pp. Pb.

The Root of Wild Madder: Chasing the History, Mystery and Lore of the Persian Carpet - $25.00
Brian Murphy. Madder is a plant whose root is dried and ground into red powder to dye carpets. The precise origin of carpets is not known, but few places have nurtured the craft and artistry of carpets more than Iran. The author, who made frequent trips to Iran and Afghanistan from 1999 to 2004 to research the book, explains the patterns, knots, and origins of carpets and the history of this remote region, describing its hunger, war, hopelessness, and poverty. He tells how the men herd and shear the sheep, the women spin the wool, the men dye the wool, the women weave the carpet, and, finally, the men market the product. Murphy also describes how child labor is used in making the carpets. With eight pages of color photographs, this book is an engaging account of these colorful rugs. 320pp. Pb.

Salt: The Grain of Life - $30.00
Pierre Laszlo. For the sake of salt, Rome created a system of remuneration (from which we get the word salary), nomads domesticated the camel, the Low Countries revolted against their Spanish oppressors, and Gandhi marched against the tyranny of the British. Through the ages, salt has conferred status, preserved foods, and mingled in the blood, sweat, and tears of humanity. Today, chefs of haute cuisine covet it in its most exotic forms - underground salt deposits, Hawaiian black lava salt, glittery African crystals, and pink Peruvian salt from the sea carried in bricks on the backs of llamas. From proverbs to technical arguments, from anecdotes to examples of folklore, chemist and philosopher Pierre Laszlo takes us through the kingdom of white gold. With enthusiasm and freshness he mixes literary analysis, history, anthropology, biology, physics, economics, art history, political science, chemistry, ethnology, and linguistics to create a full body of knowledge about the everyday substance that rocked the world and brings zest to the ordinary. Laszlo explains the history behind Morton Salt´s slogan When it rains, it pours! and looks into the plight of the salt miner, as well as spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance. is a tour de force about a chemical compound that is one of the very foundations of civilization. Hb.

The Black Death: The Intimate Story of a Village in Crisis - $22.00
John Thatcher. With a blend of fact and fiction, this is an attempt to present this harrowing time in the 1340s on a more personal level than is possible in the normal run of history books. Focusing on the real English town of Walsham de Willows, and using people known to have lived in that village during the Plague, Hatcher helps readers understand the deep terror that prevailed among them, as the reports of death drew closer, and the socioeconomic upheaval resulting from the death of a third of Europe's population. 368pp. Pb.

The Queen's Slave Trader: John Hawkyns - $23.00
Nick Hazelwood. Blame for the introduction of slavery into America has been squarely placed upon the slave traders, the merchants, and the slave owners. There is another person also to blame, England's Queen Elizabeth I. During the 1560s, Elizabeth was encouraging a Renaissance in her kingdom but also knew her country's economy could not finance her dreams for it. On direct orders from Her Majesty, John Hawkyns set sail from England. His destination: West Africa. His mission: to capture human lives. After landing on the African coast, he used a series of brutal raids, violent beatings, and sheer terror to load his ships. As the first major slave trader, Hawkyns's actions and attitudes toward his cargo set the precedent for those who followed him for the next two hundred years. In The Queen's Slave Trader, historian Nick Hazlewood's haunting discoveries take you into the mind-set of the men who made their livelihoods trafficking human souls and reveals the man who began it all, and the woman behind him. 416pp. Pb.

Women's Work: The First 20,000 Years - $27.00
Elizabeth Wayland Barber. The author uses data gleaned from her research on prehistoric textiles to recreate the daily lives of women from 20,000 B.C. to 500 B.C. Since few textiles survived from so long ago, she draws her evidence from weaving and spinning tools, paintings on pottery and furniture, figurines, linguistic history, mythology and written accounts, and through correlations drawn between ancient techniques and those still practiced. You'll be fascinated by reconstructions of how women might have lived and worked. Black & white line drawings and photos of artifacts. 334pp. Pb.