Manners, Customs, and Dress During the Middle Ages and During the Renaissance Period

"Manners, Customs, and Dress During the Middle Ages and During the Renaissance Period" by P. L. Jacob examines how people lived in Europe centuries ago. The book begins with an introduction explaining why understanding the art, culture, and behaviors of the Middle Ages and Renaissance matters; the customs demonstrate a society's ideals. The book then explores how the mix of Roman, Germanic, and Christian ideas created feudalism and a strict social order in the early Medieval times. A major element discussed in depth is how roles shifted over time, like how people moved from being servants to being more free. The book sets the stage to explore how important historical events molded normal people's and rich people's everyday lives.