King Death

by Colin Platt

Book Overview

The black death came to England in 1347 and for three centuries bubonic plague remained a continual and threatening presence in the everyday life (and death) of the country. The Black Death and subsequent population losses are central, therefore, to any understanding of the period. From rural labourer to nobleman, from village priest to abbot, contemptuous of rank and wealth, Death was the guest of every late-medieval household in 'pestilence time.' In this masterly survey, Colin Platt examines what it was like to live with plague at all levels of society. Drawing on evidence from architecture and the arts, he examines the visible legacies of the investment that Christian men and women made in the provision of after-death soul-care. In addition he examines the social and economic consequences of a steep and unprecedented population decline. It is argued that the severe labour shortage that persisted for over a century after the Black Death ultimately broke the ties of feudal bondage. Written with verve and rich in detail, King Death offers an important analysis of one of the most potent instruments of change in late-medieval England, and a fascinating insight into the industry of death that pestilence brought with it. It will be required reading for all students of late-medieval England.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0802009301
• ISBN13: 9780802009302
• Release Date: April 1996
• Publisher: University of Toronto Press
• Length: 262 Pages
• Weight: 1.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

a history book for those serious about history

Colin Platt gives an excellent, IN-DEPTH review of scholarship surrounding the impact of the Black Death on late-medieval England, full of original contributions to the field. His chapters are well thought-out and well documented. Some, especially the chapters on church art, are very moving; others, such as the chapter on widows made wealthy by the plague, will force the reader to reconsider their views on literature contemporary to the plague (and here I am thinking of Chaucer's "Wife of Bath's Tale" in particular). If you're looking for stories of gruesome death, well, perhaps this is not the first place to look (although there's still plenty of that here). If, on the other hand, you're looking for a more in-depth look at the plague and what it did to the societies it infected, here's the place to come when you've tired of the gruesome bits.

Both accessible and scholarly

More professional historians should write books like this, and more publishers should encourage them to do so. King Death is well-written (no academic baffle-gab), well-illustrated, and well-designed. It is a joy to handle and read.The subject of this book is the long-term consequences for English society of the Black Death. (If you are looking for an account of the plague itself, you should probably go elsewhere.) Colin Platt works his way through the effects on religion, economy, marriage and family in topical chapters. The general reader will get a lot out of it -- will come away with a much greater knowledge of later medieval England and of the effects of population trends on society. I suspect many scholars will find this a useful book, too. This is not a rehash of long-known material, but a study that's as up-to-date as it is accessible.