'Surprising and fascinating' GUARDIAN 'A treasure trove' PETER FRANKOPAN 'A book of great
joy' TELEGRAPH Medieval methods for modern living: a timeless study of the sustainability
movement from the Middle Ages to today Fishing quotas on Lake Constance. Common lands in the
UK. The medieval answer to Depop in the middle of Frankfurt. These are all just some of the
sustainability initiatives from the Middle Ages that Annette Kehnel illuminates in her
astounding new book The Green Ages . From the mythical-sounding City of Ladies and their
garden economy to early microcredit banks and rent-a-cow schemes Kehnel uncovers a world at
odds with what we might think of as the typical medieval existence. Pre-modern history is full
of inspiring examples and concepts that open up new horizons. And we urgently need them as
today's challenges - finite resources the twilight of consumerism growing inequality -
threaten what we have come to think of as a modern way of living sustainably. This is a
revelatory look at the past that has the power to change our future.
