The Time Traveler's Guide to Elizabethan England

By: Ian Mortimer

Narrated by: Mike Grady

Organized as a travel guide for the time-hopping tourist, The Time-Traveler's Guide to Elizabethan England is an entertaining popular history with a twist. Historian Ian Mortimer reveals in delightful (and occasionally disturbing) detail how the streets and homes of 16th century looked, sounded, and smelled for both peasants and for royals; what people wore and ate; how they were punished for crimes and treated for diseases; and the complex and contradictory Elizabethan attitudes toward violence, class, sex, and religion. Mortimer also indulges readers in the lives of literary luminaries such as Shakespeare, Marlowe, and Sir Walter Raleigh.

©2012 Forrester Mortimer Ltd. (P)2013 W.F. Howes

Elizabethan England... As Never Presented Before

I gave top marks to Ian Mortimer's book The Time Traveler's Guide To Medieval England, and I'm overjoyed beyond words to see this book now in the Audible lineup. More please! Mortimer's claim of history is that a relic or a ruin can only teach us so much about history; what we understand about our own world is what makes those lessons accessible. As such, the "gimmicky" nature of this history book sets it apart from all others because it's not "that book." It's an in-depth portrait of the reign of England's "Golden Age" under Gloriana that connects the dots between the people of that time and ours. It's a present tense account that allows the reader to fully explore a time, place, and culture in a fully three-dimensional way, complete with sights, sounds, smells, tastes, personalities, attitudes, hopes, fears, ambitions, and everything else that is generally omitted from the textbooks of names, dates, and events. Complex issues such as religion and politics of the age are brought to life in a way that an outsider can understand it and embrace it as a catapult to further exploration. But at the same time, you get to walk down the streets, take in the sights, meet the people, and peek into their lives like a tourist... or an intruder. You will laugh. You will cringe. You will pick your jaw up off the ground. And mostly, you will become familiar with a world that would otherwise be completely alien to us and gain an appreciation for it you might not otherwise get from those other books alone.

As with the Medieval England book, this is a near-perfect work, not only for the historically-inclined like myself, but also for those who claim to hate history because it's "boring." Mortimer's brand of history is a public service for the rest of us that brings both the modern sensibilities of "just the facts" found in the sterile accounts offered today as well as the kind of storytelling magic that historians of yesteryear brought to the table. The result is as close to living history as we can get without actually traveling through time, and it is astounding, if only because we don't have to smell it. If I have a complaint at all, it's that I want MORE. Hopefully those other books will be added to the Audible lineup in the near future.

What an eye opener, totally enjoyable

If you could sum up The Time Traveler's Guide to Elizabethan England in three words, what would they be?

Eye Opening Facts

What did you like best about this story?

First it was broken down into sections IE; Medicine, Dress codes etc. really made it easy to listen and to follow.

What about Mike Grady’s performance did you like?

He was wonderful, he drew the listener into the subject matter, you wanted to know MORE!

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

The horrid conditions for the poor and the misogyny at all levels of society. Even the women with wealth were restricted in so many ways. The poor woman were used and discarded and many times ended up being fodder for those who chose to break laws, and then have these poor woman bare the brunt of what will happen. Things haven't changed even with a FEMALE Monarch.

Any additional comments?

As an individual who not only enjoys history, and historical novels Ian Mortimer did his homework. It must have taken him years to collect all his information. It was done very well and in a way anyone will enjoy who wants to know more about the time of the reign of Elizabeth I

History revealed!

An entertaining, communicative and comprehensive walk through Elizabethan England. I absolutely loved it! You will too.

Slippery narration.

The earlier, Medieval book was both shorter, and with superior narration. It’s not that the length itself is a problem, but rather that the narrator makes it feel many times longer than it already is. He’s fine, really, should you judge him on a variety of individual elements, but when taken together he weighs the book down like an anchor. A voice for lullabies. Elizabethan ASMR. Perhaps it’s just a matter of personal taste and you’ll like him just fine, but I’d definitely suggest listening to a sample first. If the first book is any guide, then this must be full of fascinating information. I’ll never know for certain, as the narrator escorts every sentence in through one ear and then promptly out the other, insisting along the way that not a single brain cell be touched or memory formed. Better suited to a museum tour, I’m sure. But as for The Time Traveler’s Guide to Elizabethan England, not a single solid memory remains. A shame.

Loved it.

Just being a big history buff I loved this book. guarantee I will be listening to it again. I felt totally immersed in the environments described, as well as the culture and people in it. Total thumbs up. Loved this book.

A fun and lol story

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

For sure and I already have recommended it.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Time Traveler's Guide to Elizabethan England?

There are way to many memorable moments in this book. Lot of laughs and a clever way to look at history,

What about Mike Grady’s performance did you like?

the narrator was fantastic

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes but way too long for that. It is one that I will listen to more than a few times.

Any additional comments?

I loved this book, such a clever way to learn about history. You can really see what the problems would be if you were transported to the past. I think I would not do well. The horrible smells would do me in for sure. On the other hand anyone from the 21st. century would no doubt not last long there. Lot of laugh out loud moments and a thought provoking book.

Heavy detail hinders illuminating book

This book may well be the most researched book I have ever heard. That should be A good thing for a work of historical non-fiction, but it made this book drag. Although most of book was informative and enlightening, I found there was a !it in here that I did not need to know. The chapters on fashion and social habits particularly stand out as unnecessary. The book does present life in Elizabethan England for pauper and Prince very well and there is a lot to be admired in that, but a simple overview on some subjects would have made it more enjoyable.

Excellent

Fascinating history of England during Queen Elizabeth’s reign-narrator has a very good listening voice

Captivating

I was not sure it would hold my interest as something to listen to. The reader speaks well and keeps it interesting. I will gladly listen to more of his work.

The book itself was good, bit there were a few parts that held no interest for me, or was upsetting, which is why only four stars. Still those parts probably needed to be told to be complete.

ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS!

I admit to being an unabashed Anglophile, especially the history of the country, its people and the monarchs. This book has my three favorite things in reading: England, Elizabeth I and lots of detailed minutiae! (My friends call me "a font of useless information. Who cares? I always know the answers on "Jeopardy"!) I've read or listened about 200 factual history books on the Tudors and QE1, in addition to another 150 fact-based fictional accounts. Not one time did ever really take the time to notice that those authors talked about a lot of things that I really didn't understand but went with them as part of the story. Like the word "doxie" - I kinda knew the definition but not how and why it was created. Or that Sir Francis Drake was so darn mentally ill ("Gloriana Alzheimer's", perchance?) that he hung his navigator for no reason and kidnapped a black woman in America, then threw her off the ship in Indonesia because she became pregnant after being raped by Drake and his crew. Ian Mortimer addresses everything about the Elizabethan Age, from what the streets smelled like, how poor people lived, what and how each each class of people ate, wore, rode, played, worked, bathed, used the toilet, etc. He reveals that, other than being a fashion trendsetter, the Queen did nothing at all during her long reign to advance the rights of women who were treated like chattel. I didn't know that 16th century England had black people living there, classed as not quite chattel but not really free either.

The narrator is amazing. His delivery is tongue-in-cheek which fits perfect because the writer acts like he's a contemporary tour guide talking to the listener. He warns us not to visit the Earl of Leicester at his estate Kenilworth Manor if the Queen is visiting with her posse of 300 courtiers and servants as we will have to sleep in the garden because every bit of space is taken up by Bess' people, horses, and wagons. You will be told what to REALLY expect if you're sentenced to be "drawn and quartered", with additional warnings on how to avoid getting yourself in trouble during your vacation in England.

It is the rare audiobook that I will buy in print version. This is one of them!