- Paperback: 628 pages
- Publisher: Weidenfeld & Nicolson; New edition edition (17 Jan 2002)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 1842122878
- ISBN-13: 978-1842122877
- Product Dimensions: 22.8 x 16.4 x 4.2 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,253,751 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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More About the Author
Product Description
Product Description
The first volume in this beautifully illustrated and highly acclaimed economic and social history of the world from the Middle Ages to the Industrial Revolution covers the richness and complexity of everyday life - food, drink, dress, housing, money, the development of towns - with the technique of a pointilliste.
About the Author
Fernand Braudel was France's greatest historian. He was the founder - along with March Bloch and Lucian Febvre - of Annales, the journal which changed the face of historical writing in the 1960s.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This book fits in a set of three books that Braudel wrote about what he decribes as civilization and capitalism in the period in questions (15th-18th century). Anyone who has been taught history as a series of battles and wars, political events, struggles of royal succession might be surprised by these books: they give the 'other side' of history - the practical and economic realities faced by real people and real businesses through the period in question. They do that by plentiful reference to real examples and this makes this book and the others really interesting. These books combine visual and textual interest with a sound academic and research base: not usual - people who really know what they are talking about can be so, so boring.
This volume is about what life was like for real people: food, drink, clothes, everyday materials, money, jobs, town life etc. but unlike many books which focus only on 'finer' things (what aristocrats wore, jewellery, fine paintings) this book seeks to convey the realities for people as a whole. Very very interesting.
Although my interest tends to be with the other books in the trilogy, and this was the last one I bought, I have found it to be very interesting - very easy to dip into and get something from as interesting pictures/ maps/ statistics are spread throughout the book. I almost gave it five stars.
This volume is about what life was like for real people: food, drink, clothes, everyday materials, money, jobs, town life etc. but unlike many books which focus only on 'finer' things (what aristocrats wore, jewellery, fine paintings) this book seeks to convey the realities for people as a whole. Very very interesting.
Although my interest tends to be with the other books in the trilogy, and this was the last one I bought, I have found it to be very interesting - very easy to dip into and get something from as interesting pictures/ maps/ statistics are spread throughout the book. I almost gave it five stars.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
2 reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Structures of Everyday Life
22 May 2009
Format:Paperback
This book is written for an advanced audience. Casual readers may want to read something else. That said, I absolutely loved it! If you are interested in the economy of the world from 15th to 18th centuries, this book is simply the best. There are thousands of interesting details, anecdotes, and wonderful illustrations; that fit together in an easy to read context.
Braudel gives a wealth of information about agriculture, from production techniques to the common persons' diet. There are also descriptions of the development of many crafts and common goods such as furniture. I enjoyed this book primarily because I found the specific details interesting.
Braudel touches here and there on economic theory. However, this book does not introduce theory, it presupposes some familiarity on the part of the reader. Braudel is balanced in relation to other economic theorists, there seem to be only two theories which he strongly promotes. First is the concept that societies frequently bump up against the limit of what is possible with their current technology for some sector of the economy, while other sectors of the economy lag far behind the limits of what is possible. Second is the concept that towns are the dynamic element of civilization, nation states are seen as counter-productive, and rural life is seen as dominated by towns.
Braudel gives a wealth of information about agriculture, from production techniques to the common persons' diet. There are also descriptions of the development of many crafts and common goods such as furniture. I enjoyed this book primarily because I found the specific details interesting.
Braudel touches here and there on economic theory. However, this book does not introduce theory, it presupposes some familiarity on the part of the reader. Braudel is balanced in relation to other economic theorists, there seem to be only two theories which he strongly promotes. First is the concept that societies frequently bump up against the limit of what is possible with their current technology for some sector of the economy, while other sectors of the economy lag far behind the limits of what is possible. Second is the concept that towns are the dynamic element of civilization, nation states are seen as counter-productive, and rural life is seen as dominated by towns.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
unique
4 Aug 2007
Format:Paperback
This is part of a trilogy of books dedicated to exploring the economy top down, and down up. Nothing quite like it exists. All three volues are a pleasure to read. This one in particular is dedicated to the amounts of meat and milk consumed in the Middle Ages, and the rhythm and substance of early modern life. It is aimed at historians and scholars, but if you are just curious and a dedicated reader, you'll be drawn in very quickly.
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