A History of Courtship: 800 Years of Seduction

by Tania O'Donnell

Overview

Tania O’Donnell takes the reader on a journey from medieval Courtly Love, through to the sexual license of the Restoration, and Victorian propriety. Pick up historical ‘dating tips,’ from how to court (or be courted), write romantic love letters, give and receive gifts, propose and pose as a sighing swain.
The book takes a historical approach to the problem of finding a mate, with case studies of classic romantic mistakes and plenty of unusual tales. In the 14th century young men tried to impress the ladies with their footwear, donning shoes with pointed toes so long that they had to be secured with whalebone—presumably because size mattered!
A History of Courtship is an entertaining and enlightening look at seduction over the centuries.

Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Arcade imprint, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in history—books about World War II, the Third Reich, Hitler and his henchmen, the JFK assassination, conspiracies, the American Civil War, the American Revolution, gladiators, Vikings, ancient Rome, medieval times, the old West, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781510708587
Publisher:	Skyhorse
Publication date:	01/09/2018
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	152
Product dimensions:	9.10(w) x 6.10(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

Tania O’Donnell has written on relationships for national newspapers and magazines, including Metro and the Guardian. She is the founder of Green Cover, a private press that publishes collectible editions of original short stories, poetry and mythology. She lives in South London with her husband, Gary, and a Westie puppy.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments vii

Introduction viii

Chapter 1 Love at First, Second, or Third Sight 1

Making new acquaintances and signalling your interest

Chapter 2 Beauty & Seductive Items of Clothing 21

Arm yourself with these handy historical beautifying and dressing ideas

Chapter 3 Love Tokens and Gifts 44

Acceptable gifts from lovers and admirers

Chapter 4 Coxcombs and strumpets 59

How to recognise roguish men and women of ill repute - and how to avoid them

Chapter 5 In Praise of Chaperons 74

Many a reputation has been saved by a handy sibling or great-aunt in tow

Chapter 6 Love Songs, Letters, and Poems 84

Articulating your desire can get you an assignation - or potentially an execution!

Chapter 7 How to be a Good Life Partner 106

Once you've said your vows, your work is only just beginning

Conclusion 131

Happiness in relationships relies on many factors but a few good sense bits of advice from our ancestors is not to be sniffed at-a summary of the best of their advice.

Further Reading 133

Index 135

Editorial Reviews

01/08/2018
O’Donnell (Slow Dating) unearths many quirky and telling details from the past in this whimsical history of courtship in Western society from the medieval period to the Victorian era. She touches on the lengths men and women would go to in order to physically attract a mate before the days of makeup, with strategies involving false teeth, eyebrows enhanced with mice fur, and face patching (glued pieces of black fabric used to conceal facial disfigurements). She also highlights the tokens and gifts lovers bestowed on each other, such as hand-carved spoons, coins, and locks of hair. Heavily illustrated with pages from illuminated manuscripts, Victorian valentines, and newspaper clippings, this is the perfect lighthearted gift for readers of Atlas Obscura or other offbeat histories. B&w illus. (Jan.)

Publishers Weekly

"A lively and insightful study. The broad range of examples given, both from historical and fictional sources make this an excellent read for those interested in the social history of the period."—Elizabeth Norton, author of The Temptation of Elizabeth Tudor

"O’Donnel’s approachable and engaging writing style takes us on a romantic adventure through 800 years of the pleasures and pitfalls of human courtship, drawing upon a plethora of well-researched original sources. From the inception of chivalry and courtly love in the 12th century to strange practices such as ‘bundling’ in the seventeenth to folklore driven notions of the eighteenth to the superstitious beliefs of the Victorian era—even now represented in nursery rhymes—this book is a fun yet informative read. Inclusive of an early Tudor statute which forbade the ‘taking away of women’ to reserve aristocratic control of land and wealth, observations on the roguish eye of Samuel Pepys, and the strict etiquette of choosing a mate while chaperoned alongside the apparent freer liaisons of the lower classes, O’Donnel’s take on courtship is a must for anyone who has ever been romantically pursued or been the pursuer of the ultimate romantic notion."—Karen Bowman, author of Corsets and Codpieces, Essex Girls, and Essex Boys.

“The not-so good old dating days of yore receive a generously illustrated overview in this fond, at times acerbic look at courtship in centuries past.
Although love poems overpopulate its pages, the author of this slim book has a keen eye for clickbait-worthy facets of the mating-game. Handfasting marriages; vinegar Valentines; confession albums (a precursor to online dating); love tokens doubling as corset stiffeners; it’s all here, and nicely indexed. As is Samuel Beeton, the Victorian bully whose odious “etiquette advice for ladies” terrorized a generation.” —Vicki León, journalist-author of 37 books, including the ground-breaking Uppity Women in History series
"A lively, merry romp through centuries of wooing, elopements, love affairs, and scandal. Perfect for Jane Austen fans!"—Eleanor Herman, author of Sex with Kings and Sex with the Queen

"A lively and insightful study. The broad range of examples given, both from historical and fictional sources make this an excellent read for those interested in the social history of the period."—Elizabeth Norton, author of The Temptation of Elizabeth Tudor

"O’Donnel’s approachable and engaging writing style takes us on a romantic adventure through 800 years of the pleasures and pitfalls of human courtship, drawing upon a plethora of well-researched original sources. From the inception of chivalry and courtly love in the 12th century to strange practices such as ‘bundling’ in the seventeenth to folklore driven notions of the eighteenth to the superstitious beliefs of the Victorian era—even now represented in nursery rhymes—this book is a fun yet informative read. Inclusive of an early Tudor statute which forbade the ‘taking away of women’ to reserve aristocratic control of land and wealth, observations on the roguish eye of Samuel Pepys, and the strict etiquette of choosing a mate while chaperoned alongside the apparent freer liaisons of the lower classes, O’Donnel’s take on courtship is a must for anyone who has ever been romantically pursued or been the pursuer of the ultimate romantic notion."—Karen Bowman, author of Corsets and Codpieces, Essex Girls, and Essex Boys.

“The not-so good old dating days of yore receive a generously illustrated overview in this fond, at times acerbic look at courtship in centuries past.
Although love poems overpopulate its pages, the author of this slim book has a keen eye for clickbait-worthy facets of the mating-game. Handfasting marriages; vinegar Valentines; confession albums (a precursor to online dating); love tokens doubling as corset stiffeners; it’s all here, and nicely indexed. As is Samuel Beeton, the Victorian bully whose odious “etiquette advice for ladies” terrorized a generation.” —Vicki León, journalist-author of 37 books, including the ground-breaking Uppity Women in History series
"A lively, merry romp through centuries of wooing, elopements, love affairs, and scandal. Perfect for Jane Austen fans!"—Eleanor Herman, author of Sex with Kings and Sex with the Queen

From the Publisher