Reference I Love

I mentioned in my first post how I took a number of Medieval history classes when I was in college which left me with some good reference materials.  Probably I should thank my professor, Ben McRee (yes, small school, one professor for this historical period) for introducing me to them.  One that I keep going back to is Growing Up in Medieval London, by Barbara A Hanawalt.  She does a fantastic job of making academic history readable.  Focusing on childhood, Ms. Hanawalt explores aspects of everyday city life that are often ignored in works focused on grand events and notable characters.

Chapter List
1. Introduction
2. The Material Environment of London's Youth
3. Birth and Baptism: Membership in a Social and Spiritual Network
4. The Fragile Childhood Years
5. Childrearing, Training, and Education
6. Orphans and Their Upbringing
7. Life on the Threshold of Adolescence
8. Entering into Apprenticeship
9. Relationships Between Masters and Apprentices
10. Servants
11. On Becoming Sad and Wise

Being the work of a scholar, the book is also well noted, including bibliography and a helpful index.  In my work, it has enabled me to illuminate my vision, breathing life and detail into my rough sketches.