This is the first nonfiction book I'm reviewing so bear with me. I'm a history dork and enjoy books like this every once in a while.
This book is separated into 12 chapters, one for each month of the year according to the Julius Work Calendar. Each month's description is accompanied by a drawing that was engraved on the calendar. Now, these calendars obviously weren't in many places. Most were in monasteries, but I think Kings and Queens had them.
Life in England at the turn of the century was part Christian/Roman and part Saxon. Kings picked their religion based on how well things were going in their kingdom. Switch to Christianity only to have widespread famine a few years later? Time to start worshipping the old gods again. Get invaded by Danes/Vikings/Normans the next year? Mix Christian and pagan traditions, starting the foundations of modern Christian holidays!
I really learned a lot from this book, and the most surprising thing I learned is that while people starved in winter due to bad harvests, many more starved in Midsummer, before the harvests even started.
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