Paston Letters: Illustrated Letters of the Paston Family

This collection of letters covers three generations of an important Norfolk family during the 15th century. It brings to life a period poised between medieaval and modern history, as fuedalism collapsed and England was divided by the Wars of the Roses. The Paston family during this period were soldiers and students, lawyers and landowners, courtiers and members of Parliament. Their correspondence gives the reader an intimate picture of everyday life on one hand; on the other it portrays a family on the fringes of great events. First hand accounts range from battles in the Wars of the Roses, to preparation of the defences against French invasion. Contemporary illustrations and current photographs relate the people to the places where they lived. Special features expand issues raised in the letters to give concerns of rural life, or by commenting on 15th century attitudes to love, sex, learning and the law.