SC - Bob & Diana Cosby <cosby at erols.com>: Recommended reading?

[Laura C Minnick]

On Sat, 19 Dec 1998 geneviamoas at juno.com wrote:

> This came across the Merry Rose, Any one with an answer for this lady?
> I'd like to here too.
> Genevia
>  
> From: Bob & Diana Cosby <cosby at erols.com>
> To: "atlantia at atlantia.sca.org" <atlantia at atlantia.sca.org>
> Subject: Recommended reading?
> Date: Sat, 19 Dec 1998 15:31:34 -0500
> Message-ID: <367C0D26.1B7A0D0D at erols.com>
> 
> 
> Poster: Bob & Diana Cosby <cosby at erols.com>
> 
>     I have a question please.  I'm trying to research Scottish women in
> England and Southern Scotland during the 1290's.  Is "Women in the
> Middle Ages by Frances Gies, Joseph Gies" going to offer me good insight
> for this era?  I'm also looking for a book which breaks down the
> Scottish during this era and their rank structure.  Any recommendations
> would be greatly appreciated.
> Ha det sa bra & Happy Holidays,
> Diana Cosby
> cosby at erols.com

Dear Diana and all,

	I would not particulatly recommend the Gies' work, because they
try to cover too much, going hither and yon, over too broad of a time
period, ending up with a shallow, shabby treatment of everyone and
everything. Clear case of you can please some of the people some of the
time...
	I know of nothing specific to Scottish women. And PLEASE PLEASE
PLEASE don't be conceiving _Bravheart_ as having any level of accuracy in
that regard. It is a *movie*.
	However, In a vein of what I _can) recommend:

_Women's Lives in Medieval Europe: A Sourcebook_ Emilie Amt, ed.
(Routledge, New York.1993)  Nifty nifty nifty! Nothing but pieces of
period documents written by and for and about women. I Highly recommend
it.

Carolyne Larrington _Women and Writing in Medieval Europe: A Sourcebook_
(Routledge, New York, 1995) Similar to the Amt volume, this one has
introductions to each section by Larrington. Also, nifty pictures. Good
thorough overall knowledge of medieval women.

Marty Newman Williams and Anne Nichols _Between Pit and Pedestal: Women in
the Middle Ages_ (Markus Wiener Publishers, Princetone, New Jersey, 1994)
Excellent text, with wonderful bibliography and good citations. Neat
pictures. Also, there is somthign specific on class structure in Appendix
I, since you wanted to know about class.

Other Authors to read on medieval women:

	George Duby
	Penhy Shine-Gold
	Shulamith Shahar

There is also a series of coffee-table books that are dense with period
sources and great pictures of statuary, painitings, manuscripts, etc.,
that is edited by Elizabeth Hallam. The volume titled _Four Gothic Kings_
or _Chronicles of the Age of Chivalry_ have terrific accounts of the Scots
wars from about the time you mention, as well as info on several women-
Eleanor de Montfort comes to mind. Accounts of Isabella of France, Ed.II's
queen are also interesting for how women are viewed in the very early 13th
century. And no, she's not as bad as the press would have her be. Also,
remember the Auld Alliance is VERY old, and think of looking to France for
thinking about the Scots. Also, remeber that a) much of the lit. now is
written with a very pro-Scots view, facts be damned. b) much of the
literature then was, well, you know history was written by the winners-
the English wrote most of the contemporary accounts. So keep that in mind.
The British Monarchs Series has an excellent biography of Edward I, though
I don't have the citation available. But I remember it being very
well-balanced and credible. 
	Feel free to e-mail me privately if you have other questions or
need other info.

Happy Hunting

Elaine de Montgris
- -
Laura C. Minnick
University of Oregon
Department of English
- -
"Libraries have been the death of many great men, particularly the
Bodleian."
	Humfrey Wanley, c. 1731




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