The Medieval Underworld
Condition: SECONDHAND
This is a secondhand book. The jacket image is a photograph of the exact copy we have in stock. This image shows the condition of this book. Further condition remarks are below.
Condition remarks:
Book: Good
Jacket: Worn/faded, no tears
Pages: Good
Markings: No markings
A richly detailed work of social history, The Medieval Underworld uncovers the shadowy margins of life in the Middle Ages, chronicling the lives of criminals, heretics, prostitutes, outlaws, and the condemned who existed beyond the boundaries of respectable medieval society. Andrew McCall draws on a wealth of primary sources — court records, ecclesiastical documents, and contemporary chronicles — to present a vivid and unflinching portrait of sin, punishment, and survival in an era defined by rigid moral codes. The tone is scholarly yet accessible, balancing academic rigor with a genuine narrative flair that brings long-forgotten figures back to life. McCall illustrates how the Church and secular authorities defined, policed, and punished transgression, revealing that the medieval concept of the underworld was as much a moral and theological construct as a social reality. The result is a compelling and authoritative account that fundamentally reshapes our understanding of medieval civilization by shining a light on those history most often leaves in the dark.
Author: Andrew Mccall
Format: Hardback
Published: 1979, Book Club Associates, London
Genre: History
Condition remarks:
Book: Good
Jacket: Worn/faded, no tears
Pages: Good
Markings: No markings
A richly detailed work of social history, The Medieval Underworld uncovers the shadowy margins of life in the Middle Ages, chronicling the lives of criminals, heretics, prostitutes, outlaws, and the condemned who existed beyond the boundaries of respectable medieval society. Andrew McCall draws on a wealth of primary sources — court records, ecclesiastical documents, and contemporary chronicles — to present a vivid and unflinching portrait of sin, punishment, and survival in an era defined by rigid moral codes. The tone is scholarly yet accessible, balancing academic rigor with a genuine narrative flair that brings long-forgotten figures back to life. McCall illustrates how the Church and secular authorities defined, policed, and punished transgression, revealing that the medieval concept of the underworld was as much a moral and theological construct as a social reality. The result is a compelling and authoritative account that fundamentally reshapes our understanding of medieval civilization by shining a light on those history most often leaves in the dark.