The Fires of Lust: Sex in the Middle Ages

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This allows the reader to make some judgements of their own, whilst still offering some suggestions and context where it is needed.

The Victorians put up considerable barriers against coitus, believing that buttons, buckles, and corsets would frustrate physical intimacy — lovers were supposed to be kept at bay until matrimony.

By exploring their sex lives, the book brings ordinary medieval people to life, and reveals details of their most personal thoughts and experiences. Her book deals mainly with the years 1100 to 1500, leaving out the first five hundred years of the Middle Ages with the evidence tending to privilege the later part of her period.

The narration is dry, the value comes entirely from the many, many, many historical sources referenced throughout, so an interest in history - of the middle ages, or sex, or both - is a must for this. The medieval humoral system of medicine suggested that it was possible to die from having too much – or too little – sex, while the Roman Catholic Church taught that virginity was the ideal state. Learned, fun, and full of surprises – a fascinating, wide-ranging guide to medieval sexual attitudes and experiences.Fara Dabhoiwala, author of The Origins of Sex: A History of the First Sexual Revolution ‘A lively and readable account rooted in a deep knowledge of the scholarly literature on sexuality in medieval western Europe. However, at times its detail is overwhelming, with a barrage of a names and dates that seemingly have little importance to the overall narrative. Stain that surviving record with occasionally virulent misogyny and to what extent the complicated and contradictory picture that emerges reflects the real experiences of people has to be in doubt. or falling into the trap of believing an absence of evidence for some behaviours and attitudes means they didn’t happen. One drawback, is that I would have liked it to go into more detail on certain topics, a big gap in the book (in my opinion) is the lack of discuss on child birth and birthing practices.

The Australian ‘This lively, engaging study combines a scholarly rigour with a sharp eye for telling detail, told in a fluid style that keeps the pages turning. Large and loose breasts suggested ample sexual experience and that impression might damage a single woman’s reputation. Book Review: Jack Kerouac’s “Pic” — Last But Not Least In "On the Road," Jack Kerouac voiced a longing to be “. This is an interesting topic but I think it would have been better placed earlier in the book, before the reader gets to the more serious topics. With unabashed directness, a delicate touch of wit, and constant humanity, Katherine Harvey surveys the world of medieval sex and sexuality.

This is a great book on a little covered area of Medieval history engaging and full of useful information. Thomas Filbin is a book critic whose work has appeared in the New York Times Book Review, Boston Sunday Globe, and Hudson Review. T he Irish Times ‘An entertaining but thoughtful study, descriptive without becoming didactic or pedantic.