Women in the Middle Ages Illuminating the World of Peasants, Nuns and Queens by Gemma Hollman is an excellent source of information on a hidden aspect of Medieval history.
When I saw this book, I just needed to purchase it. It has an excellent usage of photographs and color which is often rare in history books. These images of exquisite Medieval art are all given context by Gemma Hollman so that they are more than just decorative in the narrative here. It is very nice book to read as well as look at and I think it well worth everyone’s attention.
The book is divided up into three sections. The first section focuses on commoner women. The second section focuses on the lives of women in the monasteries that were prevalent in the Middle Ages. The next section deals with the lives of the noble women, those who had the most social mobility in this era. The title of the book actually describes the nature of the contents quite well and shows that the author knew the subject.
The usage of art is special aspect in this book and it truly helps to enhance the experience.
Here are some more images of such pages here.
As one can see here from the opening pages, this is a colorful book, and it is a portal into another time and place. The author manages to combine prose with visuals, and it is a treat for the eyes. I highly recommend buying this text and getting a new perspective on the Middle Ages.
Byzantine-Empire.com 