Archers, Alchemists, and 98 Other Medieval Jobs You Might Have Loved or Loathed - 9781550378108

A fascinating guide to strange-but-true jobs.

If you could go back in time to the Middle Ages, what do you think you would be? A bold knight? A Princess? A Cardinal? In reality, most people did jobs we can barely imagine today. Barbers cut off beards...and sickly limbs; illuminators painstakingly decorated books with gold and silver for their rich lords; gong farmers cleaned out latrines and sorted through the excrement for dropped treasure, like pennies or buttons!

This fascinating and original guide presents 100 careers, described with historical accuracy and the author's renowned wit. Sidebars expound on intriguing elements of medieval life, including the Bayeux Tapestry, Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, medieval cosmetics, and torture techniques! This book is richly detailed with humorous illustrations that invite exploration and discovery.

Key Features

• Unique look at life in the Middle Ages
• Introduction, timeline, additional resources provide added value