The Medieval Underworld

by Andrew McCall

Book Overview

In medieval times there existed an insistence on conformity which bordered on the obsessive. This colourful account explores those times from the viewpoint of the men and women who were seen to be on... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 088029714X
• Release Date: January 1979
• Publisher: Trafalgar Square
• Length: 319 Pages
• Weight: 1.28 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.3" x 1.1" x 6.3"

Customer Reviews

Crime and Punishment in Medieval Times

Fascinating book on criminals and those considered outside the normal in the MIddle Ages. The book is divided into different crimes, such as robbery and murder and on to prostitution and other deviant behaviors outside of the church. It delves into matters of restitution and the punishments applied, which were extreme and awful. In spite of this, people continued to work outside of the boundaries of the law. Interesting look into the minds of our Medieval ancestors, and how not much has changed over the years.

A look at the fringes of medieval society

Interesting look at various elements on the fringes of medieval society. Criminals, bandits, prostitutes, so called witches and sorcerors, Jews, homosexuals among others all have chapters dedicated to them in Medieval Underground. There is also quite a bit in here about punishment for various offenses in medieval society. Really harsh and gruesome stuff! You could certainly go into further depth with virtually all of the subjects covered in this book but as far as an entertaining overview this is very good.

Humorous, idiosyncratic look at medieval life

This book looks at all those who were down and out, out of sorts, out of synch, and generally malcontent with the life and times of the Middle Ages. Subjects include crime and punishment, bandits and outlaws, beggars and thieves, prostitutes, homosexuals, heretics, witches and, of course, Jews. (This list is almost the table of contents verbatum.) The writing style can be a tad challenging: some of the sentences go half a page with innumerable colons, semi-colons and commas dropped into them seemingly at random, and as a result it takes a while to settle in to the text. If one is able to put up with this, though, the rewards are considerable. I immensely enjoyed the author's dry, tongue-in-cheek British humor--some of the stories of crime and mayhem are fabulously funny--and after a while one comes to see that the language itself is part of the humor. As for the information, well, for someone interested in the underbelly of medieval society, it stands as a veritable goldmine. The details are marvelous, the stories--as noted--rich, and I found my ideas flowing like dog spittle over a plate full of meat. A worthy and informative read.

An amusing and poignant look at medieval society

A very accessable work to both the casual reader and the lay historian alike. But serious scholars of medieval European history will doubtless enjoy this book far more. McCall doesn't offer an in-depth analysis of the "fringe" elements of medieval Europe so much a brief description of the society that produced them and recounts many of the escapades of some of the more colorful individuals of the time. This is a fun book that left me laughing out loud at times and furthers the historian's creed: "The more things change the more they stay the same."