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Book Review
Oct. 6th, 2006 03:33 pmBesides historical clothing, the study of historical merchants and markets is somewhat of an obsession of mine, I love seeing how commerce worked in the past. I was very happy then to get this book, Power and Profit: The Merchant in Medieval Europe, by Peter Spufford came in the mail today. At $20 for a used copy, its a screaming deal for the artwork alone, however the text is quite good and gives great insight into how goods were created, moved from producer to market and the people involved in the process.
The book contains many b/w illustrations and some color of merchants, tradesman, goods and people going about on business. The illustrations are mainly from French and German sources, with some Italian as well.
Besides the great art work, the text gives a nice overview, with some great little details, of how goods were produced, bought and sold, moved to market, who bought them and the life of the merchant on the road. The author also gives a nice realistic assessment into period descriptions of cloth and materials, and helps provide some much needed perspective into the expense of some items. All and all, its a great overview book into mercants, markets, money and goods. I highly recommend it.
Great little factoids from the book:
- Merchants used a parchment roll itinerary listing the names of towns, and the distances between them, that were on the road from one major city to the next. (p.54)
- By the 1370's merchants from Ulm, Augsberg and Nuremberg were buying raw Syrian cotton in Milan and Venice and selling it to southern German fustian makers located in Ulm, and between Ulm and Augsburg. At the beginning of the 16th century, 50,000 pieces of linen and 100,000 pieces of fustian were inspected and stamped in Ulm. (p.254)
The book contains many b/w illustrations and some color of merchants, tradesman, goods and people going about on business. The illustrations are mainly from French and German sources, with some Italian as well.
Besides the great art work, the text gives a nice overview, with some great little details, of how goods were produced, bought and sold, moved to market, who bought them and the life of the merchant on the road. The author also gives a nice realistic assessment into period descriptions of cloth and materials, and helps provide some much needed perspective into the expense of some items. All and all, its a great overview book into mercants, markets, money and goods. I highly recommend it.
Great little factoids from the book:
- Merchants used a parchment roll itinerary listing the names of towns, and the distances between them, that were on the road from one major city to the next. (p.54)
- By the 1370's merchants from Ulm, Augsberg and Nuremberg were buying raw Syrian cotton in Milan and Venice and selling it to southern German fustian makers located in Ulm, and between Ulm and Augsburg. At the beginning of the 16th century, 50,000 pieces of linen and 100,000 pieces of fustian were inspected and stamped in Ulm. (p.254)
