To understand aspects of cultures and thinking prior to the 15th – 16th century that generally drives renfaires it helps to look at the roots in the middle ages. Although I don’t really relate to and/or claim armchair expertice in this era here are books that I found helpful in my understanding.
Ken Follett’s Kingsbridge series:
“When the Roman Empire declined, Britain went backward. As the Roman villas crumbled, the people build one-foom wooden dwellings without chimneys. The technology of the Roman pottery — important for storing food — was mostly lost. Literacy declined.
The period is sometimes call the Dark Ages, and progress was painfully slow for five hundred years.
Then, at last, things started to change.” — preface to “The Evening and the Morning”
https://www.bookseriesinorder.com/kingsbridge/
The Kingsbridge book series is a wonderful series of historical fiction stories. It is penned by a well known Welsh novelist, Ken Follett. This series consists of 3 books in total, which were released between the years 1989 & 2017. In some places of its publication, this series is also called as the Pillars of Earth series. The plots of the stories in this historical fiction series are shown as taking place in an unreal town called Kingsbridge, which is located in England during the time of the mid twelfth century, the fourteenth century, and the Elizabethan time. Ken Follett has described the series as revolving around a cathedral’s construction in Kingsbridge. Author Ken is became very famous with this series’ first book. It is depicted as having taken place mainly during the Anarchy. The first story’s events take place between the murder of Thomas Becket and the fateful sinking of the White Ship. This series shows elements of Gothic Architecture developed from the presedence of Romanesque architecture. Before attempting to write this exciting series, author Ken’s all written works were of the thriller genre. And with this series’ first book’s release, Ken Follett went on to be recognized as a prominent bestselling novelist. Some years later, the first story was adapted into a mini series of eight parts in 2010.
Dutton Publishing released ‘World Without End’ in 2007. At the beginning of the story of the book, it is depicted that a couple of centuries pass after the successful construction of the exquisite building of Gothic cathedral. But again, the priory and the cathedral fall in the web of greed, hate, pride, love, revenge, ambition, etc. The people appear to find themselves at the crossroads of exciting new ideas related to commerce, medicine, justice, and architecture. And in no time, people with progressive mindsets begin to battle fiercely against the old ways’ proponents. The tension and intrigue reaches a high point and strikes the humanity along with a devastating natural disaster called Black Death. Ken has given an excellent explanation of the problems faced by the people at the time when the foundations of a progressive future were being laid down.
- “The Pillars of the Earth” [1989]
- “World Without End” [2007]
- “A Column of Fire” [2017]
- “The Evening and the Morning (prequel) [2020] {CE 997 – 1007}
- “The Armor of Light” [2023]
Pillar of the Earth
he Pillars of the Earth tells the story of Philip, prior of Kingsbridge, a devout and resourceful monk driven to build the greatest Gothic cathedral the world has known . . . of Tom, the mason who becomes his architect—a man divided in his soul . . . of the beautiful, elusive Lady Aliena, haunted by a secret shame . . . and of a struggle between good and evil that will turn church against state and brother against brother.
A spellbinding epic tale of ambition, anarchy, and absolute power set against the sprawling medieval canvas of twelfth-century England, this is Ken Follett’s historical masterpiece.
World Without End
In 1558, the ancient stones of Kingsbridge Cathedral look down on a city torn apart by religious conflict. As power in England shifts precariously between Catholics and Protestants, royalty and commoners clash, testing friendship, loyalty, and love.
World Without End is its equally irresistible sequel—set two hundred years after The Pillars of the Earth and three hundred years after the Kingsbridge prequel, The Evening and the Morning.
World Without End takes place in the same town of Kingsbridge, two centuries after the townspeople finished building the exquisite Gothic cathedral that was at the heart of The Pillars of the Earth. The cathedral and the priory are again at the center of a web of love and hate, greed and pride, ambition and revenge, but this sequel stands on its own. This time the men and women of an extraordinary cast of characters find themselves at a crossroads of new ideas—about medicine, commerce, architecture, and justice. In a world where proponents of the old ways fiercely battle those with progressive minds, the intrigue and tension quickly reach a boiling point against the devastating backdrop of the greatest natural disaster ever to strike the human race—the Black Death.
World Without End
Three years in the writing and nearly eighteen years since its predecessor, World Without End is a “well-researched, beautifully detailed portrait of the late Middle Ages” (The Washington Post) that once again shows that Ken Follett is a masterful author writing at the top of his craft.
Ned Willard wants nothing more than to marry Margery Fitzgerald. But when the lovers find themselves on opposing sides of the religious conflict dividing the country, Ned goes to work for Princess Elizabeth. When she becomes queen, all Europe turns against England. The shrewd, determined young monarch sets up the country’s first secret service to give her early warning of assassination plots, rebellions, and invasion plans. Over a turbulent half century, the love between Ned and Margery seems doomed as extremism sparks violence from Edinburgh to Geneva. Elizabeth clings to her throne and her principles, protected by a small, dedicated group of resourceful spies and courageous secret agents.
The real enemies, then as now, are not the rival religions. The true battle pitches those who believe in tolerance and compromise against the tyrants who would impose their ideas on everyone else—no matter what the cost.
A Column of Fire
Set during one of the most turbulent and revolutionary times in history, A Column of Fire is one of Follett’s most exciting and ambitious works yet. It will delight longtime fans of the Kingsbridge series and is the perfect introduction for readers new to Ken Follett
The Spinning Jenny was invented in 1770, and with that, a new era of manufacturing and industry changed lives everywhere within a generation. A world filled with unrest wrestles for control over this new world order: A mother’s husband is killed in a work accident due to negligence; a young woman fights to fund her school for impoverished children; a well-intentioned young man unexpectedly inherits a failing business; one man ruthlessly protects his wealth no matter the cost, all the while war cries are heard from France, as Napoleon sets forth a violent master plan to become emperor of the world. As institutions are challenged and toppled in unprecedented fashion, ripples of change ricochet through our characters’ lives as they are left to reckon with the future and a world they must rebuild from the ashes of war.
Over thirty years ago, Ken Follett published his most popular novel, The Pillars of the Earth. Now, with this electrifying addition to the Kingsbridge series we are plunged into the battlefield between compassion and greed, love and hate, progress and tradition. It is through each character that we are given a new perspective to the seismic shifts that shook the world in nineteenth-century Eu
The Evening and the Morning
It is 997 CE, the end of the Dark Ages. England is facing attacks from the Welsh in the west and the Vikings in the east. Those in power bend justice according to their will, regardless of ordinary people and often in conflict with the king. Without a clear rule of law, chaos reigns.
In these turbulent times, three characters find their lives intertwined. A young boatbuilder’s life is turned upside down when his home is raided by Vikings, forcing him and his family to move and start their lives anew in a small hamlet where he does not fit in. . . . A Norman noblewoman marries for love, following her husband across the sea to a new land, but the customs of her husband’s homeland are shockingly different, and it soon becomes clear to her that a single misstep could be catastrophic. . . . A monk dreams of transforming his humble abbey into a center of learning that will be admired throughout Europe. And each in turn comes into dangerous conflict with a clever and ruthless bishop who will do anything to increase his wealth and power.
The Armour of Light
The Spinning Jenny was invented in 1770, and with that, a new era of manufacturing and industry changed lives everywhere within a generation. A world filled with unrest wrestles for control over this new world order: A mother’s husband is killed in a work accident due to negligence; a young woman fights to fund her school for impoverished children; a well-intentioned young man unexpectedly inherits a failing business; one man ruthlessly protects his wealth no matter the cost, all the while war cries are heard from France, as Napoleon sets forth a violent master plan to become emperor of the world. As institutions are challenged and toppled in unprecedented fashion, ripples of change ricochet through our characters’ lives as they are left to reckon with the future and a world they must rebuild from the ashes of war.
Over thirty years ago, Ken Follett published his most popular novel, The Pillars of the Earth. Now, with this electrifying addition to the Kingsbridge series we are plunged into the battlefield between compassion and greed, love and hate, progress and tradition. It is through each character that we are given a new perspective to the seismic shifts that shook the world in nineteenth-century Europe.