A Medieval Book of Seasons

The lives of our ancestors were vastly different from our own. Labour and leisure activity had a seasonal cadence, depending on the length of daylight and agricultural needs, and a long, cold winter meant real hardship. Yet we can still easily identify with some aspects of their lives, shown here in contemporary illustrations - young lovers walking in the May countryside, sheep shearing in summer, families picking fruit from autumn hedgerows. With the aid of an informative text, vivid pictures from "Books of Hours" and richly-illuminated manuscripts, the authors give an insight into medieval life.