Research novels?

[Prefx]

Hello. Eagerly waiting your second book.

My question is: what, if any, books have you used to research over the years? Do you find yourself going back to the books when it comes to looking up subjects, or is it more of the internet, or something else (hubbie)?

[Teresa Edgerton]

I almost never use the internet for research -- too superficial and too unreliable. At the most, I'll use it to figure out which printed sources I should be looking up.

My greatest research tool is the public library system, and after that my personal library, and after that (only because I basically use him just for research on the subjects of armor, weapons, and battle) my husband and his personal library.

I have notebooks full of information I've gleaned from books, for easy reference, but sometimes, yes, I do go back to the books themselves, if I can get my hands on them again. All my notes include the names and authors of the books in question, but I don't always remember where the books came from in the first place. Now that I think of it, it's stupid of me not to include that information, too. Set in my ways, I guess, since back when I started taking these notes my memory was at least good enough to remember that much.

But there was a time when I wasn't even organized enough to take very many notes, and I relied on my memory to a much greater extent. Which, because I was a lot younger, was much more to be relied on. How much of that information has since slipped right out of my mind, I'll never know.

(Note to aspiring writers and researchers: Don't get old. Or if you do, start taking notes now.)

As for specific books -- there have been hundreds. If that sounds like bragging, remember that I've been doing this for over 25 years, and sometimes I'll go on research binges that last for weeks.

I keep thinking that I'll post some lists of favorite books on various topics, but then I ask myself, would anyone really be interested, and then I don't.

[Culhwch]

Originally Posted by Teresa Edgerton

I keep thinking that I'll post some lists of favorite books on various topics, but then I ask myself, would anyone really be interested, and then I don't.

I'd be interested! No pressure, though...

[Teresa Edgerton]

Well, where to begin? What would be of the most interest? History? Mythology? Magic? My personal obsession is the little day to day details of life in previous centuries -- food, drink, table manners, clothes, jobs, what things were made of -- which I happen to think are very valuable for a fantasy writer, but perhaps not as fascinating to others as they are to me. Or cities -- not the urban planning part, but how people lived in them, and how different they all were. But there was a time when my interests ran more to myths, legends, fairy tales, alchemy, and the occult. For military stuff, I'd ask John to make a list.

[Culhwch]

I'm always on the lookout for good, readable histories - nothing dense and weighed down by facts and dates and whatnot, but rather something that gives you a feel for times, the little details, the reality of day-to-day life...

[Prefx]

Originally Posted by Culhwch

I'm always on the lookout for good, readable histories - nothing dense and weighed down by facts and dates and whatnot, but rather something that gives you a feel for times, the little details, the reality of day-to-day life...

I'll echo this.

[Teresa Edgerton]

I'll make a list tomorrow, then.

[Prefx]

Thank you.

[Teresa Edgerton]

Beginning with the Middle Ages, a short list which I will add to as time allows.

MEDIEVAL LIFE

Lost Country Life, by Dorothy Hartley

In case you were wondering when to shear your sheep and plant your barley. Seriously, though, this book gives you, chapter by chapter, an idea of how people lived and worked month by month throughout the year. Information on commodities, laws, measurements, the feudal system, religion, and much more.

The English Medieval House, by Margaret Wood

Plans of manor houses, town houses, towers, gatehouses, etc. Not only the architecture, but the social aspects of how they were built and how people lived in them. Also, it has some very nice black and white illustrations.

Medieval Folklore: A Guide to Myths, Legends, Tales, Beliefs, and Customs, edited by Carl Lindahl, John McNamara, and John Lindow

This one I haven’t had very long or had much chance to go through yet, but from the part that I have read it looks to be an awesome resource. The back cover says “a wide-ranging guide to the lore of the Middle Ages from the mundane to the supernatural,” and that looks to be an accurate description. Articles (for example) on such diverse subjects as food, burial mounds, dancing, childbirth, courtly love, inns and taverns, witchcraft, runes, holidays, and much, much more.

The Bestiary: A Book of Beasts, translated and edited by T. H. White

This is mainly for fun, being a translation (with notes) of a 12th century Latin bestiary. It does give some fascinating insights into the medieval world view, and the fact that the editor/translator is the author of the Arthurian classic The Once and Future King adds an extra bit of interest.

Daily Life in the World of Charlemagne, by Pierre Riche

Part of a wonderful series of books originally written in French, only a fraction of which have ever been translated into English, gosh darn it. Not to be confused with a more recent series of books with similar titles originally written in English. Those books aren’t bad, but these are better. Information on the Carolingian diet, landscape, travel, maps, furnishings, world view, etc.

The Middle Ages, by Morris Bishop

Another useful compendium of details of everyday life during the medieval period, methods of measuring time, the manorial system, medieval judicial theory, social classes, marriage customs, religious life, science, education, trade, and more.

Daily Life in Portugal During the Late Middle Ages , by A. H. de Oliveira Marques

Food, table implements, domestic furnishings, medical practices, and so forth.

Life in a Medieval City, by Joseph and Frances Gies

Chapters on weddings and funerals, medieval doctors, trades, schools, town government, housework, etc.

Life in a Medieval Castle, by Joseph and Frances Gies

The castle as a house, the castle at war, knighting ceremonies, village life, hunting, the organization of medieval households, etc.

Pleyn Delit: Medieval Cookery for Modern Cooks, by Constance B. Hieatt and Sharon Butler

The title is self-explanatory. If you ever want to put together a medieval feast, this book will tell you how.

[Prefx]

Again, thank you for the list, Mrs. Edgerton. I will be looking them up on Amazon tomorrow.

[Teresa Edgerton]

Well, you know, they're mostly old books. I don't know if you can find them on amazon or not. You'd probably have better luck with inter-library loan.

[j. d. worthington]

Originally Posted by Teresa Edgerton

Well, you know, they're mostly old books. I don't know if you can find them on amazon or not. You'd probably have better luck with inter-library loan.

And if you're interested in purchasing them, you may be able to find them (perhaps with some patience) through the various second-hand dealers on the net, such as Alibris (though they're a bit high-end now and again), Biblio.com, or Abebooks, etc. Sometimes you can find items like this for amazingly small cost ... others may be rather expensive. Good hunting!

[Culhwch]

Many thanks, Teresa. Hopefully some of these will be in the university library where I work....

[Prefx]

Originally Posted by Teresa Edgerton

Well, you know, they're mostly old books. I don't know if you can find them on amazon or not. You'd probably have better luck with inter-library loan.

After doing a quick search, I've discovered the first three on the list are available on Amazon. Thanks for the concern, though. I'm planning to visit the non-fiction areas of my local book stores and library next weekend.