G. G. Coulton’s Chaucer and His England is a vivid and learned portrait of English life in the fourteenth century, the age of Geoffrey Chaucer. Rather than a literary study alone, the book uses Chaucer and his Canterbury Tales as a guide to the society of the time: its towns and countryside, its clergy and pilgrims, its trades, manners, and beliefs. Coulton brings the medieval English world to life with rich detail drawn from a wide range of sources.
A master of medieval social history, Coulton illuminates the everyday realities behind Chaucer’s poetry, from the life of the Church to the conditions of the common people. His engaging style makes the fourteenth century feel immediate and real. Readers interested in Chaucer, medieval England, or social history will find it delightful. This free EPUB edition makes available a classic evocation of the England that produced one of its greatest poets.