Friday, October 7, 2011

The Inventions of Flavor

Every once and a while, and then some, I run across a book I hadn't even heard of that is useful for adding flavor to a Medieval Fantasy campaign or setting.  Recently in a resale shop, I found an English translation of an Italian book on Medieval inventions.  It doesn't cover everything, but it cherrypicks some very cool devices and elements that show how the Middle Ages shouldn't be looked upon as an era devoid of progress.  Not everything prior to modern times was invented either by the ancients or in the Renaissance.  Chiara Frugoni is a well-respected Italian historian whose books like A Day in a Medieval City should be standard reading for any Game Master.  The book I am touting, though, is Books, Banks, and Buttons and Other Inventions from the Middle Ages (also available in softcover).  I'll let you check the reviews on Amazon but know that I have enjoyed it, too, and recommend it as well.

No comments: