The Time Traveler's Guide to Restoration Britain by Ian Mortimer Narrator: Roger Clark
Series: Time Traveler's Guide #3
Published by Tantor Audio on August 15, 2017
Genres: Non Fiction
Length: 20 hours, 16 minutes
Format: Audiobook
Source: Library
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If you could travel back in time, the period from 1660 to 1700 would make one of the most exciting destinations in history. It’s 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. In The Time Traveller's Guide to Restoration Britain, Ian Mortimer answers the crucial questions that a prospective traveller to seventeenth-century Britain would ask.
I love trivia and learning interesting facts about nearly every subject. Perhaps this is because any new tidbits are sure to give me an edge over my family when playing along with Jeopardy. While I am guilty of watching endless documentaries and informative videos, rarely do I turn to non-fiction when looking to expand my knowledge base. I confess that when I started The Time Traveler’s Guide to Restoration Britain by Ian Mortimer, I might have believed it was an actual work of fiction about a time traveler. (In my defense, my daughter often adds a variety of books to my library queue; which I usually read without question so that we can discuss at a later point). But I was quick to discover, in the book’s Introduction, that this was not going to be an Outlander-inspired romance.
I tend to think I know a lot about Regency England, because I love Jane Austen and Regency Romance. But I’ve also taken classes on and studied Medieval, Georgian, Victorian, and Edwardian periods in British history. The Restoration, however, was a bit of a mystery. The subtitle, A Handbook for Visitors to the Seventeenth Century: 1660-1699, makes it very clear what time period the book is about, and as I began to listen, a light bulb clicked on in my head connecting fragments of knowledge together in more of a cohesive timeline. In 1649, the monarchy is dissolved and King Charles I is executed. This led to the establishment of the Commonwealth of England, ruled with an iron fist by Oliver Cromwell as Lord Protector. In 1660, Charles II is crowned and the monarchy is restored, hence the name “The Restoration.”  But this wasn’t just a restoration of leadership; it was the end of a puritanical regime that had stifled the population at every level of society. In addition to the return of celebrations and religious tolerance (for some), the Restoration ushered in a period of wild enthusiasm for knowledge and discovery; a renaissance. The creative, scientific, and philosophical works of John Milton, Christopher Wren, Isaac Newton, and John Locke all came about during this time along with the establishment of the founding of the Royal Society (1660) and the Royal Observatory at Greenwich (1675). I was pulled in to the ‘story’ and could feel the excitement of the time period while reading the book.
The Time Traveler’s Guide to Restoration Britain is a practical manual on how to live day by day in the late 17th Century. Each chapter addresses a specific topic; like “What to Wear” or “Health and Hygiene.”  I have a better grasp on the long-lasting impact of the London Fire and how one might pass the day as a subsistence farmer. The writer’s approach resulted in an engaging, interesting book that was very different from any history text I’d read in the past. Although it was definitely a history book, it makes the subject matter so much more personal. Dr. Mortimer uses the work of Samuel Peyps, a well-known diarist from that time period, to underscore the thoughts and opinions of that time period; sometimes with a bit of tongue-in-cheek humor. Being able to mock the narrow-minded, pretentious Peyps made learning about some of the less savory practices during that time period more palatable.
While the Time Traveler’s Guide to Restoration Britain is chronologically not the first guide written by the author, it is easily read as a stand-alone. I think it is a great place to start if one is interested in learning about the time period or if one just enjoys learning about historical facts in general. While there was no romance, I still enjoyed the experience and look forward to reading other books in the series.
Narration:
I appreciated the clarity and diction in Roger Clark’s narration. He was very easy to understand and brought the subject to life. At normal speed, the book felt a little ponderous. I generally prefer to listen to audio books at 1.2x, but I felt 1.5x speed was more enjoyable and kept me engaged with the text.
Listen to a clip:Â HERE
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I've developed a preference for audiobooks over the last few years, which allow me to complete chores, run carpool, or work on my many building and craft projects while 'reading.
My all time favorite selections include Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series, Karen Marie Moning's Fever series, and all of Robin Hobb's books set in the Farseer world. Â Honorable mentions to Elle Kennedy, Penny Reid, Meljean Brook, Ann Aguirre, Krista and Becca Ritchie, Jeaniene Frost, and Kristen Callihan.
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