An unusual, but fascinating, look at how people in the middle ages lived in communal dwellings until the growth of a middle class that craved, and could afford, some privacy.

The lord in his hall, the monk in his cloister: we often think of medieval people as living most of their lives in the constant company of others. But there was always another middle ages, characterised by the hermit's solitude as well as by the private apartments of the rich. By the later middle ages more and more men and women - including monks and nuns - aspired to enjoy time and space apart for purposes of prayer, recreation and scholarship. Diana Webb traces these trends in this highly original book. Ranging widely from Roman times to the Renaissance, and covering both religious and secular life, Privacy and Solitude uses an unusual approach to illuminate a major historical development.

"'There is far more to this book than even its wide stands may suggest. Scholars of many disciplines will find much for enquiring minds to mull over and develop. The need for privacy for thought and for solitude, to refresh personally and religiously, is abundantly present in us all...Readers of all backgrounds will find much pleasure and reward in this original and stimulating survey.' Brenda Bolton, Church Times (Same review also appeared in Baptist Times.)" - Church Times

"'Webb has hit upon an intrifuiing subject: the rise of the middle-classes and their craving for privacy, rejecting the communal living and public lives so prevalent in the Middle Ages.' Publishing News, 7 July 2006" - Publishing News

"Diana Webb... explores the consequences for Christians seeking the desert, from the earliest times to the high Middle Ages, and a fascinating tale she makes of it, closely informed by scores of contemporary accounts and told with an engaging clarity and judgement. It is an impressive book." Christopher Howse, Tablet, 07/07.07 - Tablet, The