Reference Tools
Ale, Beer, & Brewsters in England; Women’s work in a Changing
World (1300-1600) - $23.95
Judith M. Bennett. Although women brewed most of the beer drunk in medieval
England, men gradually took over the trade; they virtually supplanted women by
1600. This book discusses the specifics of the takeover, and is a fascinating
account of "the metamorphosis of a medieval craft." 186p plus 50p
notes, biblio, thorough index. Pb.Oxford Univ Press.
Ancient Agriculture; roots & application of sustainable farming - $29.95
Gabriel Alonso de Herrera. This first English edition of Obra
de Agricultura was written in Granada Spain in 1513 & published there
in 1539. Herrera, widely considered the Father of Modern Spanish Agriculture,
thoughtfully recorded traditional Moorish farming techniques, those of the
Hispanic colonizers in the early 1500s, and those of the Indo-Hispanio
bioregion. HC, 256pp, 100 b/w illos. Ancient City Press
Ancient Books of Ireland - $39.95 
Michael Slavin. “Lavishly illustrated, this book about books offers a unique record of Ireland’s turbulent lore & history.” (Pub note) Includes material on Annals, Book of Armagh (9th century, containing earliest account of St Patrick’s coming to Ireland), Ballymote, Cathach (6th century, oldest Irish book extant), Dun Cow (11th century), Four Masters, Keating, Kells, Lecan, Leinster, and Lismore. HC, 9 ½ x 9 ½ , 160pp, 32 color illus. Queens-McGill
Ancient Herbs - $19.95
Marina Heilmeyer. Presents the 40 most important plants used for culinary, medicinal, and religious purposes in classical antiquity. The author paints an intriguing image of the uses of and myths about plants from Greek and particularly Roman kitchen gardens. Quotations from classical authors testify to ancient practices, some curious and some still standard today. Illos reproduce drawings from early 19th century botanical publications, often showing the plants at various stages of growth. Pb, 108pp, 55 color illos. Getty
Anglo-Saxon Leechcraft - $6.95
Rose & Nefr Press.
Artifice of Beauty: a history and practical guide to
perfumes and cosmetics - $34.95
Sally Pointer. Why did Egyptians use so much makeup? Were the Vikings really unwashed barbarians? How did the fashionable Elizabethan deal with bathing, lice, & excessive facial hair? This fascinating and unique book traces the way in which we have adorned, perfumed, and presented ourselves from the earliest prehistoric evidence through to the dawn of the multi-million-dollar cosmetics industry of the 20th century. The author complements this lively historical account with a comprehensive practical guide to the ingredients & tools used to make & apply these beauty aids. Includes numerous recipes, which have been adapted for modern usage. Numerous color & b/w photos & illus. HC, dw, 302pp, index, biblio, notes, glossary of ingredients, tables of weights & measurements, appendix of ingredients listed by ancient authors, Abdeker’s ‘Library of the Toilet’.
Bayeux Tapestry - $50.00
Lucien Musset, trans. Richard Rex. Part One discusses general issues, including a short history of this wonderful cloth, and considers the work in artistic context, its style & spirit, the captions, characters, soldiers, weapons, ships, buildings, borders, and the historical background, plus 82 pages of notes. Part Two consists of commentary and interpretation. Very clear close-up color photos throughout. No index. HC, dw, 270 pp. Includes genealogical tables (Norman & English dynasties), very brief biblio. Boydell & Brewer
Before the Mast: Life & Death on board the Mary Rose
- $100.00
Edited by Julie Gardiner & Maggie Richards. Of the crew of nearly 500, fewer than 40 survived the ship’s sinking in 1545. Their bodies & belongings went to the bottom of the sea. More than 440 years later, excavation produced a huge collection of objects that make up a picture of what life was like on board. This book explores how the men lived through their remaining possessions, how they were fed, physick’d, their recreation & music. The barber-surgeon & carpenter’s cabins contain full toolkits for their trades, the ship’s galley the utensils for cooking & eating. An amazing look into Tudor life. HC, 760pp, hundreds of b/w illos. David Brown
Culture of Cleanliness in
Renaissance Italy - $35.00
Douglas Biow. Concern about public hygiene caused Da Vinci to design an ideal clean city. Such concern was, argues the author, everywhere in Renaissance Italy. The author discusses the image of cleanliness in literature as well as social life and public health. He also touches on soap, the washerwoman, and latrines, in his discussion of high and low culture and the image of the clean and the unclean. HC, 272pp, 44 halftones, extensive biblio, index, notes. CUP
Early Slavs - $15.00
P.M. Barford. More than 270 million people speak in Europe speak one of the many Slavic languages and dialects, but the origins and development of Slavic culture are still among the most difficult problems facing archeologists. This book is a remarkably comprehensive and accessible synthesis of the most recent archeological discoveries, linguistic research, and literary-historical evidence about the origins of the Slavs. Vividly portrays daily life in Eastern Europe from the early 5th to the end of the 10th centuries CE. Newly compiled maps & numerous illus. HC, dw, 416pp, select biblio, notes. CUP
Falconry - $5.00
Mark Shields & Duncan Blackwater. Updating an earlier title from 1985,
this pamphlet brings us current falconry practices, and a thorough description
of the place of falconry in medieval life. Includes material on the different
hawks used, their furniture, daily care, training, and the quarry they took.
The book also contrasts period & modern techniques. Glossary, notes,
biblio. 56pp, saddle-stapled, paper. SCA
Farming in the First Millennium AD: British Agriculture between Julius
Caesar & William the Conqueror - $50.00
Peter Fowler. The author "has written an authoritative account of farming
in Britain… This is the first synthesis of our knowledge on this topic for a
generation." (Publisher’s note) Tr pb, 393pp. 37p biblio. Appendices: Main
printed sources & further reading for each chapter, glossary, select list
of sites & museums specifically relevant. Illus b/w photos, contemporary
drawings, modern sketches. Cambridge University Press
Hortus: The Roman Book of Gardening - $34.95
John Henderson. This title brings together the Latin texts which teach
& celebrate the herb & vegetable garden in verse & prose. Henderson
provides the only book on the practice of Roman gardening. (Publisher’s note)
pb Routledge
Ink and Gold: Masterpieces of Islamic Calligraphy - $40.00
Marcus Fraser & Will Kwiatkowski. Charts the development of Islamic calligraphy over a thousand year period, where the art of the pen became the focus of an extraordinary energy. Covers all the major centers of Islamic calligraphy, from North Africa to Central Asia. Though pride of place is given to the Qur’an, calligraphy is also examined in mystical & scientific works, poetry, and calligraphic albums. Tr pb, 96pp, 80 illus (many in color, some with gold). Univ Wa Press
Knight’s Own Book of Chivalry - $14.95
Geoffroi de Charny, trans Elspeth Kennedy, intro by Richard Kaeuper. Enter the real world of knights and their code of ethics and behavior. Read how an aspiring knight of the 14th century would conduct himself, and learn what a knight needed to know when traveling, fighting, appearing in court, and engaging fellow knights. Composed at the height of the Hundred Years War by one of the most respected knights of his age, this book was designed as a guide for members of the Company of the Star, an order of French knights created by Jean II of France in 1352 to rival the English Order of the Garter. Paper, 128pp. Univ Penn Press
Knights Next Door: Everyday People Living Middle Ages Dreams - $21.95
Patrick O’Donnell. Take a behind-the-shield look at the sword battles,
costumes, feasts, & arts of the Current Middle Ages, a world being
recreated right around you by people just like yourself. Join us for a tour of
the nation’s largest medievalist group, the SCA, as it and other groups act out
their passion for times past. Suitable for skeptical outsiders, excited
newcomers, & long-time members. It also makes a perfect gift for friends
& relatives who wonder just what it is that you do every weekend. Pb,
311pp, illus w/ numerous b/w photos
iUniverse
Knives & Scabbards: Medieval Finds from Excavations in London -
$37.95
J Cowgill, M de Neergaard, N Griffiths. Reprinted from the Museum of London’s
original publication. This catalog details over 500 items found in the
archeological excavation of 12th century London middens.25 b/w
illos, much highly technical material. For the serious recreationist or
craftsman: a classic work of scholarship. Paper,184pp. Boydell & Brewer.
|
Life Along the Silk Road - $17.95 |
|
The Master of Game - $21.95
Edward of Norwich, 2nd Duke of York. Edited William & F. Baillie-Grohman. Based on Gaston de Foix’s 1387 Libre de chasse, this oldest & most important English book on the chase was written between 1406 & 1413. Edward added 5 chapters of his own to de Foix’s work, and the two combine to form the major source for our knowledge of the medieval hunt. Includes: popular quarry & their behaviour, hunting breeds & their training, rules & techniques for a successful hunt, weapons & traps, horn calls. A delight to read. Pb, 376pp, 24 illus. Univ Penn Press
Mead Hall: Feasting in Anglo-Saxon England - $27.00
Stephen Pollington. Communal meals were an important part of Anglo-Saxon
society. Both formal & informal, they were enjoyed by all ranks of society.
Using the evidence of Old English texts, the author shows that the idea of
feasting remained central to early English social traditions long after the
physical reality had declined. HC, 24 b/w illos, 3 appendices, 280pp, biblio,
index Anglo-Saxon Books
|
|
Medieval Calendar Year - $26.95 |
Medieval Combat - $19.95
Hans Talhoffer, trans Mark Rector This brilliant & attractive book
makes one of the most influential & lavishly drawn fencing manuals of the Middle
Ages available in English for the first time. The authentic 15th-century
techniques of this master present not only a unique historic record but also a
visual guide for modern practitioners. 320 pp, 268 illus, pb Greenhill
|
|
The Medieval Garden - $24.95 |
The Medieval Horse - $50.00
John Carter, editor. Whether knight's charger or beast of burden, horses
played a vital role in medieval life. The wealth of medieval finds excavated in
London in recent years has, not surprisingly, included many objects associated
with horses. This catalogue illustrates and discusses over 400 such objects,
among them harness, horseshoes, spurs and curry combs, from the utilitarian to
highly decorative pieces. . . The introductory chapter draws on historical as
well as archaeological sources to consider the role of the horse in medieval
London. It looks at the price of horses and the costs of maintaining them, the
hiring of 'hackneys' for riding, the use of carts in and around London, and the
work of the 'marshal' or farrier. It discusses the evidence for the size of
medieval horses and includes a survey of finds of medieval horse skeletons from
London. It answers the key questions, how large a 'Great Horse' was, and why it
took three horses to pull a cart. A new introduction to this edition provides
an update on research and a supplementary bibliography. This is a basic work of
reference for archaeologists and those studying medieval artefacts, and
absorbing reading for everyone interested in the history of the horse and its
use by humankind. (Publisher’s note) 42 b/w illos, 202 pages, hc. Boydell &
Brewer
Medieval Rural Life in the Luttrell Psalter - $20.95
Janet Backhouse. One of the best-known early English manuscripts (written &
illustrated in the early 14th century), the Luttrell psalter has
long been celebrated for its illustrations of daily life. Using this source,
the author has written an interesting discussion of rural life. Paper, 64pp, 45
color illos. University of Toronto Press.
|
Norse Mythology -- According to Uncle Einar -
$21.95 |
|
Passions and Tempers: a history
of the humors - $27.95
Noga Arikha. The humors were substances thought to circulate within the body and determine a person’s health, mood, and character. Eating food that was ‘cold’ in nature would thus help to balance a person who was ‘hot’ or choleric in temperament, for example. This theory remained an inexact but powerful tool for 2,500 years, surviving scientific changes and offering guidance to physicians and cooks alike. This book examines these theories & follows them from their Western origin in ancient Greece to their present-day versions. HC, dw, 356pp, 25p index, notes, chapter-by-chapter biblio (divided into primary & secondary sources), 30 b/w illos. Ecco
Pennsic 20th Anniversary DVD (1991) – The Noble
Edition - $25
Every year, two kingdoms of the SCA meet for the Pennsic War, the largest annual medieval event in North America. This event is filled with ceremony & spectacle, honor & chivalry, armored fighting & honest fun. This video is the most complete program ever made of this event. It contains battles, ceremonies, parades, tournaments, archery, artisans, music, merchants, and interviews with legendary figures of the SCA, as well as with younger gentles who have since become noble peers & royalty. Original 68 minutes footage plus 47 minutes of new material. Originally released in VHS, this new edition also contains a special insert with interviewee updates & color photos & production notes. Watch This Space Enterprises
Pennsic 2003 DVD - $25.00
At last, a way to show friends, relations, and those suspicious &
slightly hostile officials at the local school or church what the Pennsic War
(and, by extension, the SCA) is all about. The disk contains two videos, the
first a 12-minute one ideal for using at demos, showing school officials, etc)
with a sampling of the delights of the 2003 Pennsic War. The second video, 30
minutes, is more of the same, delightfully expanded, with the possilibity of
recognizing yourself or your friends, group, or banner. PG – no bunny fur
bikinis – this is great fun to view and use. Every seneschal needs one! Winslow
Video Productions
Pennsic XXXV
- 35th Anniversary DVD
(2006) - $25
A couple of long-time SCAdians have attempted to present a way to view our War with a no-documentary style. Here are wonderful montages of some of the battles, classy interviews, explanations of some of the traditions, and generally great footage of The War. The producers hope to make this an annual tradition, with special emphasis on different aspects of The War each year. Lynnvander Productions.
NB: Pennsic War XXXVI (36) is currently in preparation, and is expected a little before Christmas.
Perfect Red: Empire, Espionage, and the Quest for the
Color of Desire - $15.95
Amy B Greenfield. A brief history of dyeing in the Ancient and Medieval world is followed by an intensive history of the cochineal dyestuff: its origins, cultivation, spread to Europe, and attempts to cultivate it outside Mexico & South America. Fascinating and well-written. Paper, 338pp, extensive notes, 25p biblio, index, 12 color illos & numerous b/w illos. Harper Collins
Persian Garden - $35.00
Khansari, Moghtader, & Yavari.The Persian dream of taming wind, sand, erosion, and drought to create islands of Edenic beauty gave rise to more than 3000 years of revolutionary and influential garden design. >From the ingenious engineering projects that brought vital water from the mountains to the evolution of garden design and its greatest achievements in the magnificent city gardens of Isfahan and Shiraz, the development of the garden in Persia is a long and fascinating story. Meticulously researched and created over a period of 6 years, this book explains the philogsphy behind Persia garden design and offers an authoritative account of its development. Magnificent color photos, old plates and engravings, and architectural renderings & plans add to its usefulness. Material is drawn from garden-carpets, textiles, miniatures, stone reliefs, titles, pottery, & poetry. Paper, 176p, 200 illustrations. Mage Publications
Polish Miscellany - $5.00
Tom Nadratowski, Linda Learn, Paul Goldschmidt. This pamphlet contains four main sections: Portraying a Polish Hussar in the Current Middle Ages, Reconstructing a Zupan, Textiles in Poland in the Middle Ages, and A comparison of Western European Feudalism & Polish Governing Structure. Also includes ‘Some useful Polish words & phrases’ with a pronouncing guide, tips on research when you don’t know the language, biblio, & endnotes. Saddle-stapled Pb, b/w illus & patterns, 56pp. SCA
Remembering Sepharad: Jewish Culture in Medieval Spain - $40.00
Isidro G Bango. "Highlighting diverse practices—from architectural
design to bread-baking; from marriage ceremonies to the legislation of personal
attire—(this book) traces the vibrant cultural, political, and religious life
of the Jewish people in Spain from Roman antiquity to the expulsion of Jews in
1492. Drawing on a wealth of material, including archeological pieces,
furnishings, codices, sculptures, paintings, scale models, maps, and excerpts
from primary texts, this highly readable account recreates the contentious and
mutually transformative relationships among Jews, Christians, and Muslims in the
period." (Publisher’s Note) Tr pb (oversized), 232pp, 174 color illus.
University of Washington Press
Samurai: An Illustrated History - $34.95
Mitsuo Kure. Explores the lengthy, bloody history of the samurai,
Japan’s professional warrior caste. The samurai had their origins in the
mercenary bands hired by provincial landowners in the 10th century.
The important warrior families gradually gathered more and more power to
themselves until, from the 12th to the 19th centuries,
"the history of samurai was effectively the history of Japan." And it
is this history which Dr. Mitsuo Kure now shares with us in a chronological
retelling of the ever-shifting alliances of the great samurai families
during warfare, rebellion, betrayal, and the never-ending search for power and
dominance. Detailed black-and-white illustrations provide a thorough
introduction to samurai armor and weapons. Many full color photos of museum
pieces and modern recreations add interest to this volume. Maps of modern and
historic Japan are provided. All in all, this book is a fascinating look at a
time and a country virtually unknown to the modern American reader. Chronology,
glossary, and bibliography. 192 pp, 9¼ by 12¼ inches. Tuttle.
Samurai Sword - $21.95
John Yumoto. This book is a complete handbook of the samurai sword. The text
deals with the origins and development of the sword, its historical background,
the various types of swords, their parts, styles, and differences in
construction, as well as the art of the sword smith, the famous schools, the
problems of identification & evaluation, and the care and maintenance of
the sword. Many lists offer convenient means of collating vital information,
while the numerous illustrations admirably augment the text. Partial list of
famous sword smiths, their provinces & dates. Biblio, glossary, list of
historical/modern prefectures, index. HC, dw, 187pp. C E Tuttle
Sheep and Man – Temporarily Out of Stock
M. L. Ryder. First published in 1983 and recognized as a classic in its field, this pioneering book on the history of the highly profitable relationship between and sheep combines evidence from every possible source – anthropology, geography, folklore, linguistics, biology, and agriculture. The interests of scientists, archeologists, historians, fiber workers, and general readers are all kept in view. Wool has been of prime importance throughout man’s history, and a major theme of this book is the variety of fleeces developed by selective breeding. Never before has the sheep, or indeed, any domestic animal, been treated on such a wide chronological and geographical scale. HC, dw, 846pp, index, 28p biblio, table of sheep illos. Numerous b/w photos, diagrams, etchings, maps. Duckworth.
Shoes and Pattens - see Costume
|
Silk Industry of Renaissance Venice - $54.00 |
|
Sleeping Around: the bed from antiquity to now - $35.00
Annie Carlano & Bobbie Sumberg. There’s more than one way to make a bed, and humans throughout history have devised every sort they could imagine. From a simple blanket laid on the ground to elaborately carved four-posters hung with sumptuous draperies, from a hammock swinging under the stars to a stifling cupboard bed built into a wall, the ways in which people have tried to get a night’s sleep are myriad. This book, illustrated with some 140 images, takes readers on a lively tour of sleeping customs are the world. Tr Pb, 200 pp, index, notes. Univ WA Press.
Spice Route - $27.50
John Keay. In the past, spices came from lands unseen, possibly uninhabitable, and almost by definition unattainable; that was what made them so desirable. Yet more livelihoods depended on this pungent traffic, more nations participated in it, more wars were fought for it, and more discoveries resulted from it than from any other global exchange. Epic in scope, marvelously detailed, laced with drama, this book spans 3000 years and circles the world to chronicle the history of the spice trade. Drawing on ancient geographies, travelers’ accounts, mariners’ handbooks, and ships’ logs, Keay’s book tells of ancient Egyptians who pioneered maritime trade to fetch incense from Arabia, Greco-Roman navigators who found their way to India for pepper & ginger, Columbus, da Gama, and Magellan. HC, dw, 302pp, 32 color illus, 3 maps. Univ CA Press
Textiles & Clothing - see Costume
The Ties That Bound; Peasant families in Medieval England - $19.95
Barbara A. Hanawalt. This book explores the life of the English peasant
during the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, examining material environment,
family economy (including the contributions of wife and children), land
inheritance, life stages, and relations with neighbors, guilds, and religious
institutions. "Medieval coroners, like modern ones, investigated all
sudden or unnatural deaths," explains Hanawalt, and taps this rich vein of
contemporary information to shape a picture of peasant life. Despite her morbid
sources, the book provides a lively and extremely vivid portrait of life in the
past. 350 pages, including 13 pages of bibilography, and 60 pages of notes.
Oxford University Press.
Tudor Housewife - $24.95
Alison Sim. Considers the life of the average woman in Tudor England, with
material on religion and marriage, childbirth & rearing, education,
household duties. Well-written, readable. 150p, hc. McGill/Queens.
Viking Empires - $40.00
Angelo Forte, Richard Oram, & Frederik Pedersen. This book is a definitive
new history of the five hundred years of Viking civilization, and is the first
study of the global implications of the expansion, integration, and
reorientation of the Viking world. Offering an assessment of Scandinavian
society before the 790s, the book traces the political, military, cultural, and
religious history of the Viking Age from Iceland to the Baltic states. The
authors show that it is not possible to understand the history of the Norman
Conquest, the successes of David I of Scotland, or the relationship between the
Holy Roman Empire and the papacy without considering the impact of the history
of Scandinavia. The book concludes with a new account of the end of the Viking
era, arguing that there was no sudden decline, but rather the gradual
absorption of the Scandinavian kingdoms into the project of the crusades, and a
refocusing of imperial ambitions on the Baltic and eastern Europe. Hardcover,
446pp, 70 b/w photos & maps, extensive biblio & notes, index. Cambridge
Univ Press
Wooden Bowl - $49.95
Robin Wood. This
is the first authoritative account of the history of the wooden bowl.. It
details evidence of the turners craft dating back 4000 years, and looks at the
development of lathe technology, as well as the tools and timbers used. The
author has been given unprecedented access to study and photograph important
collections, many of which have never appeared in print before. The superb
photographs show priceless, gold-adorned vessels buried with Saxon Kings, Tudor
bowls from the wreck of the Mary Rose, and even a bowl which some claim to be
the Holy Grail. Hardcover. 192p
Stobart Davies 2005
Yurts: Living in the Round - $24.95
Becky Kemery. One of the oldest forms of indigenous shelter still in use today, yurts are multi-faceted, versatile, and immensely popular structures whose possibilities are still being explored. This book shoes how to build, insulate, ventilate, and transport a yurt, and shares invaluable information on everything from foundations and heating to building codes and floor plans. Includes information on where to find a yurt, find a builder, floor plans for a variety of yurts, and ideas for combining yurts with outbuildings or satellite yurts. Extensive resources section & index, 160pp, 150 color photos, tr pb. Gibbs Smith
| Home Page | Table of Contents | How to Order |