Terry Jones' Medieval Lives (edition 2005)

Monty Python's Terry Jones is not just funny--- he's actually smart too! ;)

Terry Jones and Alan Ereira do a great job of presenting "Medieval Lives" in layman’s terms while at the same time being informative and entertaining. Each chapter is broken down by a particular social order, whose viewpoint offers crucial insights into life during the Medieval period.

It is informative and funny, a perfect way to impart information to a 21st century audience! It is perfect for actual historians or even just fans of 'Monty Python and the Holy Grail', myself falling under both categories, I would lean more towards people who have an affinity toward the time period. It is history with a fun twist! ( )

I've seen the Medieval Lives TV series and this is just as good, though each contains information not found in the other. This is serious history, but Terry Jones, being Terry Jones, is able to insert plenty of humor. Highly recommended for high school and college classrooms, and for anyone interested in medieval history. ( )

I simply couldn’t avoid it. How could I resist such wonderful temptation? I have always been a Python lover, since my first view of The Holy Grail. So naturally, when I saw that Terry Jones of “Monty Python” fame had penned a non-fiction, totally legitimate book on medieval history in England how could I not pick up a copy?

Jones’ Medieval Lives did not, of course, disappoint as a fun little read. It’s definitely one of the lighter books on general medieval history I’ve read lately. Authors with purely academic backgrounds tend to have a heavy tone; Jones was anything but, in his book. He explores the social culture of medieval England in a way one would expect from a bright fellow who is at heart an entertainer. He guides us through some of the different archetypes of the era: peasant, monk, minstrel, outlaw, philosopher, knight, damsel, and king. Each chapter includes some interesting little morsels of fact and what I thought was interesting anecdotes. Make no mistake, his tone may be light but he takes his history seriously.

Part of me is suspicious that historians and specialist academics might scoff at some of Jones’ conclusions. I think it’s easy to sidestep this though, just for the sake of absorbing what he has to say. His presentation of the lives of medieval people made me think. I think for anyone looking for a general overview of medieval lives will find this book useful. It’s the kind of book you want to keep handy before bed, or even, for those more adventurous, a quick peek while on the loo (gasp!). If you are looking for a more in-depth history discussion, you may want to look elsewhere. But, as an appetizer Medieval Lives is a treat.

The book itself is actually a companion piece to Jones’ Emmy-nominated BBC documentary series of the same name. I was fortunate enough to pick up a copy while on honeymoon this summer in the UK. The DVDs are as much fun to watch (complete with Gilliam-esque animation) as the book was to read. The set perhaps aren’t funny ha-ha per se, but still chuckle-worthy.

The book was originally published in full colour hardcover. If you can nab a used copy, I highly recommend it. Nice piece; includes some of the illustrations from the film. Otherwise, the current edition is just as useful but perhaps has a bit less pizzazz. It’s currently available at bookstores. The film series, I’m happy to say, is available for FREE (God love the BBC) on YouTube. You could watch the episodes before committing to the book. Either way, you win.

Really, how could I not recommend a book on medieval history that validates the usefulness of minstrels and rogues? Or shows that damsels weren’t particularly damsel-like? He challenges a lot of the stereotypes and myths—it’s what it’s all about, folks. And in the end, who doesn’t enjoy a proper history book that quotes phrases like “...the leap, the whistle and the fart”? Exactly.

(BBC Books/Ebury Publishing/Random House, 2005) ( )

Some people have the most spectacular careers. Terry Jones has had two: star of Monty Python's Flying Circus and medieval scholar. Terry Jones' Medieval Lives is the second book of his I've had the pleasure to read (The other was the physically beautiful Who Murdered Chaucer?). This is what I think they call "popular history," in that it's written to entertain a lay audience and not for academic study. That does not mean it's simplistic, and nor is it written for a beginner of medieval history. This is good stuff, lots of interesting--occasionally funny--information presented in a readable format. I particularly liked his medieval myth-busting of silly and erroneous things we've been led to believe about people in the middle ages (things like they believed the world was flat.)

I didn't realize it when I picked it up, but the book is a companion to a BBC series of the same name. There are a few clips on YouTube, and they look even better than the book. I will definitely order the series on DVD. ( )

This is a coffee table book based on the BBC Series. I am an avid consumer of popular histories, the sort that history purists would shudder to read. This is a pretty good spin off book, not as good as the Simon Schama books, but nicely illustrated, well structured and full of interesting facts.

My favourite chapter covered knights and chivalry, a complete medieval invention, based on popular Arthurian romances, but disguised a brutal set of hired killers with no real scruples or sense of honour. The myth itself generated a set of touring jousters, whose tournament battles, over time, became to be as realistic as as World Wrestling Federation bouts.

Terry Jones is a champion of the Medieval period and thinks it has been much maligned by Renaissance enthusiasts. He makes his case well - see the chapter on Medieval science.

Favourite fact from the book, King Louie The First, where is he in all the history books? What happened to him? - airbrushed out, that's what. ( )