Sex and Sexuality in Medieval England commits a common sin in histories of culture. It is overloaded with names and dates. Perhaps if I was related to the people mentioned, I would find that revelatory. Unfortunately, I just found it boring.

However, the conclusions were interesting. One in six children didn’t live to age one. 2% of women died in childbirth. However, a lack of contraception made ten and twelve children common, which ups the odds of death to 20-24% over a women’s lifetime. Despite how prostitutes were depicted in Game of Thrones or similar tales, prostitutes were rare in medieval times. All aspects of sex and sexuality are covered but expect to do a lot of skimming. There are also no illustrations, which could have broken up the litany of facts a bit.

If you are planning a book or movie set in Medieval England, Sex and Sexuality in Medieval England might be worth reading. But for most readers it will be like hunting for gold or playing the lottery. More likely a loss than a win. 2 stars. Read the much better entry in this series, Sex and Sexuality in Tudor England, for a more interesting dive into British historic culture instead.

Thanks to Pen & Sword History and NetGalley for a digital review copy of the book.

This was so fun to read! That being said, this is what I studied for part of my undergrad, so I think I'm a little bit more interested in it than your average reader. It would be a great read for someone studying the evolving opinions regarding sex, marriage, and sexuality, though.

Warner gives lots of examples (sometimes more than I felt necessary), and each with a little tidbit that makes it unique. With my medieval history background, it was really fun to put these examples in context with the things I learned in college.

Overall, this was a quick and easy read.

First, thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC!

I was hoping to have enjoyed this book more, it seemed very dry and repetitive. While there were some sections that were more interesting than others, it felt like the structure of the book was just a listing of many examples that fell under the point of the theme. This got very tiring. I ended up skimming through the last half of the book because of this. Wish it was more captivating.

First I must say that the ARC copy that I received is no example of the final product, so I cant really talk about graphics, images or organization, but I will talk about the content and that it the main part, we get to know so many details of life and sex on the medieval era that really contradicts what we have learned on movies, yeah probably most of us really believe that marriages only happened in June or July because they took their annual bath on may but is that true, we learn in this book that the hygiene of the people on the medieval era was more important than what we though of… yeah just read on :) you’ll be as surprised as I was.

I see this book as a great point of research about how life was on the medieval era, and it provides us with links, name books from where all the info came from and that is really important. I can say that this book keep me motivated to finish and it show us his content in an interesting way. I never thought that kidnaps for marriage were so frequent or that having sex outside the marriage weren’t that frown upon (between two unmarried people), yeah in this book you can find a bit of everything, I really suggest you grab a copy in the book store or in the library and read this book for yourself.

Thank you NetGalley and Pen & Sword for the free ARC and this is my honest opinion.

Thank you to Pen & Sword and Netgalley for this ARC! I wished for this book and I got it! Thank you for that. Thos book is coming out on August 30th.

Sex and Sexuality in Medieval England was an interesting book. I enjoyed reading it because I adore medieval history!! I once had a professor who taught medieval and middle-ages history. Her specialty was on history of England. She studied at Oxford for a few years for her doctorate. It was so much fun! This book reminded me of my professor's lectures. Some people might find the topic kind of boring but I love it! I think this book did a pretty good job being entertaining.

A very well researched book that is draws heavily on contemporary sources. While the insights and the themes were interesting, I did find the constant listing and recitation of examples very tedious. If you took those away, you'd have an essay, not a book.

Sex and Sexuality in Medieval England is a well written guide to the morals, habits, and customs surrounding marriage and sexual congress in Medieval England written by Kathryn Warner. Due out 31st Aug 2022 (UK release) from Pen & Sword, it's 208 pages and will be available in hardcover format.

I enjoy history and especially English history with bonus engagement on my part for late medieval to the early modern periods. This selection hit a lot of high points for me. The author has done a good job of selecting the (very) mildly salacious stuff which we never get to read about in school history classes whilst remaining layman accessible and without anything salacious enough to scandalise one's maiden auntie. It's arranged thematically in chapters, each of which concern a particular subject with some overlap: appearance & dress, marriage (several chapters on different situations and social classes), relationships, abductions, adultery/ecclesiastics renouncing and marrying, pregnancy & childbirth, menstruation, illegitimacy, ravishment, age of consent, consanguinity, same sex relationships, gender roles (including a solid discussion of transgender and inequality for women property holders), and work and role models.

This is a layman accessible and eminently readable book. Despite the bonafides of the author, it's not written in formal academic language, although there are copious careful chapter notes and citations in the text as well as a bibliography. The comprehensive bibliography and index will provide many hours of further background reading for readers who wish for more in-depth background.

Four and a half stars. Definitely not a formal academic work, but fascinating for history fans who want a readable & understandable book about the subject. The author does a good job of writing objectively about the class and gender disparities and inequalities of the time which actually have some chillingly appropriate relevance in our own time.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

A well researched addition to the series, this book explores marriage; what was considered physically attractive; clothes for men and women; health and hygiene; as well as attitudes (legal and other) towards rape; abduction of women or young boys for forced marriages; etc. I was interested to learn how definitions of things like incest were different during Medieval times than they are today (the definition expanded to include anyone who took vows of chastity and then broke them!) as well as plenty of other fascinating bits of information. Author Kathryn Warner clearly knows her subject and generally kept things interesting and informative. There were times when she listed more examples than I felt were really needed- entire paragraphs of names and dates to prove ages when people married as opposed to a few for example got old pretty fast, and I definitely felt she brought her point home when she analyzed a few examples instead of just listing names or dates, but overall the book was well written and definitely well researched.

A must read addition to the series for those studying social history and exploring how people lived and loved in England during Medieval England.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

This is an incredibly detailed and well-researched book chock full of interesting information like "Is it true that medieval people married in June because it was shortly after their annual bath in May?" (No) and "is it true that sex was supposed to be only between a husband and wife, in missionary position, and for procreation?" (Yes). And yet, this book was a very taxing read, so much so that I found it to be almost unreadable and skimmed through large sections of it. Here's a typical passage...

"Widows who took this vow [of chastity] wore ‘a certain habit’, i.e. like a nun, and a ring ‘in token of perpetual chastity’. 12 Eleanor, Countess of Pembroke and Leicester (1215–75), was the youngest child of King John and Isabelle of Angoulême, and Henry III’s sister. Eleanor came to regret the vow of chastity she had taken before the Archbishop of Canterbury in 1231 as the teenaged widow of the Earl of Pembroke, when in early 1238 she wished to marry Simon de Montfort, a French nobleman who moved to England in c. 1230 and became Earl of Leicester. She did marry Montfort and they had six children together, as vows of chastity were reversible. Alice Hoton of the diocese of Durham lost her husband William when she was about twenty-six, and, ‘pierced with grief’, took a vow and wore the usual cloak and ring. In 1449, however, she petitioned the pope on the grounds that ‘she might find it difficult to resist attempts to ravish her’, and furthermore, that she wished to have children. Pope Nicholas V ordered the Bishop of Durham to release her from the vow and to allow her to contract a second marriage. Margaret Slengesby of Yorkshire was allowed to commute her vow of chastity to ‘other works of piety’ in 1403, ‘inasmuch as she fears that on account of the frailty of the flesh she will not be able to keep it, and therefore desires to marry."

Yikes. This book would have been a much better read, imo, if about 60% of the included information had been relegated to the footnotes section. As always, your mileage may vary.

Nevertheless, I appreciated the opportunity to read this ARC, and I thank the author, publisher, and #NetGalley.
#SexAndSexualityInMedievalEngland

This book was surprisingly boring. It barely scratched the surface of an interesting topic and such a long period of time. Endless lists of names and dates are not really entertaining and do not help to get an idea of what every day life in medieval England really was like.

Warner's work is a quick read that is great for someone wanting introductory information about the subject matter. Warner is upfront that not much in relation to source material exists from the Medieval area that discusses sex and sexuality and therefore does not go into any specific details, but she does successfully debunk common myths that many believe about the time period.

Overall, there are some interesting facts presented, and the structure used of topic sentence followed by names, dates, and minor examples in sentence after sentence in the paragraph can appeal to some readers. Topics discussed include marriage, birth, marriage, infant mortality, religion, age at birth and family practices, illegitimacy, divorce, marriage, prostitution, and more chapters dedicated to the age of consent for sex, marriage, and rape.

You hear on the news of people that have been sexually violated and the lifelong damage that occurs, was this considered a violation of the modern era? Kathryn Warner touchs on these questions in an informative history book. It was interesting to peek into the sex lives of couples from the 14th century, initially, I assumed this book would lean to fiction, this was not the case. l've wondered how much pleasure the couples derived out of sex, since the end result were children and at some point, no children,
Most of the information was common, but bits and pieces were eye opening. One such was the process of checking whether or not the man was impotent, which required the use of prostitutes and their ability to arouse the gentleman, through the use of touching and observation of genital. Another example, which could be straight out of the news when a young girl was forced into a marriage with a man quite a bit older than she, which was against our norms, it is a crime. Unfortunately, the abuse of young women has and will always be a part of history.
Thank you Netgalley, Kathryn Warner, and Pen and Sword for the pleasure of reading this book for an honest review.

When we think about the more intimate moments in the medieval period of European history, a few misconceptions and myths come to mind, thanks to historical fiction and medieval movies. The idea that girls as young as twelve were married off to much older men was the norm, and there were such things as chastity belts. Everyone was filthy and smelled awful, so they only married in the spring when they would take their annual baths. And the brilliant idea that the wealthiest lords of the village were able to have their way with the bride on her wedding day. The latest book by Kathryn Warner, “Sex and Sexuality in Medieval England,” aims to eliminate these myths to reveal the truth of the intimate lives of those who lived during the medieval period.

Thank you, Pen and Sword Books and Net Galley, for sending me a copy of this book. I have enjoyed the previous book in Pen and Sword’s Sex and Sexuality series on Tudor England by Carol McGrath, so when I heard that Kathryn Warner was writing the next book on Medieval England, I jumped at the chance to read it.

Warner begins this book by exploring the cleanliness of those from the medieval period and how they dressed. Cleanliness was vital in all aspects of life; the people took baths more than once a year. She then tackles the marriage myths, exploring everything from young marriages and marriages year-round to the moments when relationships did not work out well and even abductions and forced marriages. We also encounter stories of domestic violence, the rituals of birth and baptism, prostitution, adultery, illegitimacy, and sexuality. These tales also include their methods for healthy sex, how they dealt with abortions, and how same-sex relations were viewed at every level of society.

Warner examines literature, historical documents, and archeological clues to help her audience better understand the past. What Warner does brilliantly is the fact that she incorporates stories from every rank of society, from monarchs to peasants between 1250 and 1450, to tell a sweeping tale of sex and sexuality in medieval England. I found this book extremely enlightening and a fantastic resource for understanding the medieval period. It illuminates the shady areas of the past to dispel myths that have been circulating for a while now.

Warner has yet again combined her meticulous research with well-written prose to give her audience an informative read for medievalists and medieval history nerds alike. If you want to learn more about how medieval England viewed the more intimate moments in life, I recommend you read “Sex and Sexuality in Medieval England” by Kathryn Warner.

A fascinating and comprehensive narrative on the subject and related areas including laws and family histories.
The book is not afraid to dispel popular misconceptions in this area of knowledge and also to tackle the more sensitive areas. I was impressed by the seeming depth of the research and the vast number of examples and substance behind the information. I was particularly fascinated by the surprisingly forward thinking in places of the era and refreshing equality, not always but it certainly gave me food for thought and challenged my own assumptions.
A real treat and I feel my eyes were opened and I learned a lot from this, thank you.

Did you enjoy reading textbooks at school? Do you like reading marriage banns in the local newspaper? Do you need to fall asleep quickly before bed? This may just be the book for you!
Sex and Sexuality in Medieval England sent me back to Secondary School, half asleep in the back of my History class as I flicked through my Medieval English textbook and drew moustaches on the illustrations. I honestly felt that given a month of spare time, and money to pay the archive fees, I could have collected most of the information myself.
I completely understand that there are very little primary sources from the time period, and it’s hard to actually know what Medieval Englanders were like, but oh my god, reading this was a slog. Chapters and chapters are just lines from marriage and death announcements, “Mary Snotface who was 23 married George Pimplebottom who was 20 on the 17th of August 15-Medieval Times. This proves that older women married younger men”. Repeat forever.
Maybe I’ve been spoilt because I read a lot of non-fiction History books, but this book was so dry. I really wish I could have known ANYTHING about the hundreds of Medieval people mentioned, even if the author made it up. Pretend that Mary Snotface married for love, and that she was often seen sneaking out of church to chat with stable groom George Pimplebottom! I want something to connect with these people!
However, I did like learning that lots of Medieval people wore hats, and these were often given as wedding presents. I will now think fondly of George Pimplebottom spending a weeks wages to buy his new wife Mary a lovely hat with pearls on it. I hope she was very happy with it.

Very good and fascinating book on sex and traditions in mid evil times. There were a few slow spots, but for the most part it was very informative and flowed nicely. Would definitely recommend to someone who loves learning about this time period.

Note: I was given an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Sex and Sexuality in Medieval England, by Kathryn Warner, is well researched and documented. The purpose of the book is to debunk myths people believe about marriage and sexuality during the Medieval time period in England. When people reflect on Medieval times, many think of child marriages and uncleanliness in personal hygiene. Or, they fantasize the time period of princes and princess living in fairy tale castles. The time period was actually filled with male dominance and female subservience. Males of the higher classes were interested in women mainly for personal gains in lands or riches, or for producing a male heir.

Because I love researching genealogy, seeing particular names in the book I can relate to my family line gave me a small glimpse into what some of my ancestors went through. Ms. Warner provides several examples of names and dates to back up or defend a common thought about the subject matter. Her bibliography and notes section is quite lengthy; in fact, about 25%-30% of the book is dedicated to citing sources used during her research.

Although there are several examples provided, they are mainly names with dates. To me, this looked more like a doctoral thesis outline than a nonfiction book the general public would want to read. For me, I would have preferred perhaps a smaller list of examples but have them more thoroughly presented with a back story so I could feel like I understood the circumstances at the time or feel like I knew the people better than just a name with a date.

I did learn quite a bit by reading the book, but it did not engage me like some other nonfiction books I have read in the past. I was not glued to the pages; in fact, I could only read about 10-15 minutes at a time before I would feel the need to attend to something else. I could see it as a beneficial reference, however, for scholars looking to delve further into one of her section subjects, and gather the examples she provided to do more extensive research on the people listed.

This is a well-researched work. In spite of the subject matter, it is easy to understand and doesn’t have a lot of erudite language.

It has a lot of interesting information. Who knew, people in Medieval England thought that women had more sexual desires than men. In fact, some health books provided information on how to relieve the tension. It dispels some myths like there were a lot of weddings in June because they had bathed in May and were not that smelly yet.

The author provides a lot of examples to back up each point that is made. At times, there are just too many. Three examples are usually enough to make the point. I also wish there was a conclusion or a wrap-up of some type instead of just ending. It seemed abrupt to me.

It is a very manageable read in organization, language and length. If you are interested in this time period, pick it up. There is very likely something in here that you didn’t know.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy in return for an honest opinion.

The book is full of details about topics such as marriage, sexual practices/beliefs, adultery, etc in England during the medieval times. It’s entertaining up to a point where the amount of details is overwhelming. There are lots of examples such names, dates, and specific circumstances.

I love the medieval period, so when I saw a review of this book, I had to request a copy from Netgalley.

Because of reading other history books about this era, I wasn’t surprised by much of the information, though I love that Warner wants to set the record straight about medieval life in England. There’s so many lies told about this time period, and it’s great to see more books revealing the truth.

I particularly loved details from The Trotula, a medieval compendium of women’s medicine, and details such as football being a popular game at weddings (as well as beating poultry with sticks - not so fun), but there are lots of other fascinating nuggets that illustration the similarities, and differences, to modern life.

Even though Warner focuses on the very late Middle Ages - the 13th to 15th centuries - her book still suffers from similar tomes about ordinary life in this era. Unfortunately, there is a dearth of written records about daily living (no diaries or journals to gather details from), and most of the details seem to have come from court records and legal documents such as wills.

However, the subject matter is very interesting, and there is a lot of valuable information to be gleaned from this book.

Thank you to the author and the publisher for providing me with an ARC. I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.