The Time Traveller’s Guide to Restoration Britain: A Handbook for Visitors to the Seventeenth Century: 1660-1699

London -- Beyond London -- The people -- Character -- Basic essentials -- What to wear -- Traveling -- Where to stay -- What to eat, drink and smoke -- Health and hygiene -- Law and disorder -- Entertainment.;"If you could travel back in time, the period from 1660 to 1700 would make one of the most exciting destinations in history. It is the age of Samuel Pepys and the Great Fire of London; bawdy comedy and the libertine court of Charles II; Christopher Wren in architecture, Henry Purcell in music, and Isaac Newton in science--the English Civil Wars are over and a magnificent new era has begun. But what would it really be like to live in Restoration Britain? Where would you stay and what would you eat? What would you wear? The third volume in the series of Ian Mortimer's bestselling Time Traveler's Guides answers the crucial questions that a prospective traveler to seventeenth-century Britain would ask. How much should you pay for one of those elaborate wigs? Should you trust a physician who advises you to drink fresh cow's urine to cure your gout? Why are boys made to smoke in school? And why are you unlikely to get a fair trial in court? People's lives are changing rapidly--from a world of superstition and religious explanation to rationalism and scientific calculation. In many respects this era reflects the tipping point between the old world and the new, as fear, hardship, and eating with your fingers give way to curiosity, fine wines, and knives and forks. This unique guide to Restoration Britain encourages us to reflect on the customs and practices of daily life--while simultaneously teaching us about the seventeenth century and making us look with fresh eyes at the modern world."--Jacket.;The author shows everyday life for people living in late 17th century Britain. The past is another country this is your guidebook, from nationally bestselling author of The Time Traveler's Guide to Medieval England.Imagine you could see the smiles of the people mentioned in Samuel Pepyss diary, hear the shouts of market traders, and touch their wares. How would you find your way around? Where would you stay? What would you wear? Where might you be suspected of witchcraft? Where would you be welcome? This is an up-close-and-personal look at Britain between the Restoration of King Charles II in 1660 and the end of the century. The last witch is sentenced to death just two years before Isaac Newtons Principia Mathematica, the bedrock of modern science, is published. Religion still has a severe grip on society and yet someincluding the kingflout every moral convention they can find. There are great fires in London and Edinburgh; the plague disappears; a global trading empire develops.Over these four dynamic decades, the last vestiges of medievalism are swept away and replaced by a tremendous cultural flowering. Why are half the people you meet under the age of twenty-one? What is considered rude? And why is dueling so popular? Mortimer delves into the nuances of daily life to paint a vibrant and detailed picture of society at the dawn of the modern world as only he can.--Barnes and Noble The past is another country – this is your guidebook, from nationally bestselling author of The Time Traveler's Guide to Medieval England. Imagine you could see the smiles of the people mentioned in Samuel Pepys’s diary, hear the shouts of market traders, and touch their wares. How would you find your way around? Where would you stay? What would you wear? Where might you be suspected of witchcraft? Where would you be welcome? This is an up-close-and-personal look at Britain between the Restoration of King Charles II in 1660 and the end of the century. The last witch is sentenced to death just two years before Isaac Newton’s Principia Mathematica, the bedrock of modern science, is published. Religion still has a severe grip on society and yet some—including the king—flout every moral convention they can find. There are great fires in London and Edinburgh; the plague disappears; a global trading empire develops. Over these four dynamic decades, the last vestiges of medievalism are swept away and replaced by a tremendous cultural flowering. Why are half the people you meet under the age of twenty-one? What is considered rude? And why is dueling so popular? Mortimer delves into the nuances of daily life to paint a vibrant and detailed picture of society at the dawn of the modern world as only he can. "An up-close-and-personal look at Britain between the Restoration of King Charles II in 1660 and the end of the century. The last witch is sentenced to death just two years before Isaac Newton?s Principia Mathematica, the bedrock of modern science, is published. Religion still has a severe grip on society and yet some?including the king?flout every moral convention they can find. There are great fires in London and Edinburgh; the plague disappears; a global trading empire develops. Over these four dynamic decades, the last vestiges of medievalism are swept away and replaced by a tremendous cultural flowering. Why are half the people you meet under the age of twenty-one? What is considered rude? And why is dueling so popular? Mortimer delves into the nuances of daily life to paint a vibrant and detailed picture of society at the dawn of the modern world"--Amazon.com Contents: Introduction 1: London 2: Beyond London 3: The People 4: Character 5: Basic Essentials 6: What to Wear 7: Traveling 8: Where to Stay 9: What to Eat, Drink and Smoke 10: Health and Hygiene 11: Law and Disorder 12: Entertainment Envoi Abbreviations used in the Notes Notes Illustrations Index Acknowledgements