Novel set in SOUTHERN INDIA in later 20th Century
An A to Z of English history (Medieval to Regency)
21st September 2026
Mortimer’s A to Zs of English History by Ian Mortimer, an A to Z of English History (Medieval to Regency)
I do love a book that disseminates interesting snippets of information, guaranteed to make the reader reappraise their own history lessons, and highlights new and novel discoveries.
Ian Mortimer takes his readers through the Medieval Period, through the Elizabethan and Restoration to Regency times, noting interesting and amusing amuse-bouches as he goes along.
I had never given much thought to the provenance and importance of the button but life without it is really quite difficult, unknown before about 1300. A simple tunic now has the wherewithal to take new shapes and no longer constrains people, who until then had to be sewn into their clothes. The simple button is liberating and facilitates much easier dressing.
In the Elizabethan period he looks at the manner of killing people (I didn’t know criminals were boiled to death, for example) and the 16th Century saw a great change in how punishment was meted out (probably only marginally less cruel than boiling). There is Illness, Bathing and Heels and a look at the growing institution of Breakfast. Until this point the English hadn’t been the forerunners of naval warfare but gradually, Elizabeth I steered her realm forwards, away from its medieval ways.
It picks up again in Restoration England, when tobacco was seen by many as a nourishing product (!) and the first entry for the Regency section is an homage to A for Austen (Jane, that is), followed by B for Brummell.
Clearly the A to Z format is a way to present a swathe of well researched and tantalising snippets, but at times it does feel like a slightly tenuous device to introduce gleaned information (take “Y for Your Ancestors” in the Elizabethan reign) and, then further subsets of A to Z paragraphs appear (like the A-Z of Plays not by Shakespeare). It doesn’t matter, though, the narrative is richly entertaining and the author has an incredibly entertaining style of writing.
Throughout, it is sobering to read about the hardships and cruelty that continued through the centuries – perhaps changing their nature but nevertheless remaining pretty horrific – especially seen through our modern day lens. There are fun observations, there are quirks and above all there is a wonderful dive into the mores and manners of each period. I really enjoyed this book.
Tina for the TripFiction Team
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