Research is one of my favorite aspects of writing historical fiction (my favorite part being taking that research and turning it into an immersive story), and I've come across some useful books I wanted to share.
Ian Mortimer has a great book focused on Medieval England
that takes you on a tour of the sights, smells, and daily habits of the English people during this time period. In general, it's a fun read, though you might wish to save the sections on medical care for when you're not eating. He apparently has one on Elizabethan England that I haven't acquired a copy of yet.
Looks promising!
A nice followup is
Bill Bryson's book--and I managed to score one of the illustrated editions at Costco for a good price!
This one goes into great depth (and on entertaining tangents) on the history of private life, using an historic house as a model. It's eye-opening how recent some of our homely comforts actually are.
What about you? Do you have a favorite history or nonfiction book you can lose yourself in?
