Just back from Italy after watching the red sunset over the Venetian 
lagoon (In between bronchitis, getting drenched by a cloud burst and 
bitten by mosquitoes but the pasta, grappa and architecture were great) 
I havent had time to read this thread but Aries should be read with 
caution. His notion that affectionate parenthood is a very invention is 
now rejected by most social historians. Rather early modern aristocratic 
social life is now seen as rather unusual. A better book is D. Kertzer 
and M. Barbagli, The History of the European Family vol.1: Family Life 
in Early Modern Times 1500-1789. Recent toy books include Anne Marieke 
Willemsen's (1998). Kinder delijt. Middeleeuws speelgoed in de 
Nederlanden - but already out of print.and Hazel Forsythe with Geoff 
Egan, Toys, Trifles and Trinkets: Base metal minatures from London 
1200-1800 (2005). Actually one of the first things you notice in Italy 
as  a northern European is that children and mothers are worshipped.. On 
the other hand Italian waiters are always shocked when my wife proffers 
HER credit card.

paul courtney
leicester
UK


George Myers wrote:

>CENTURIES OF CHILDHOOD
>By Philippe Aries. New York: Vintage Books, 1962. 447 pages.
>
>(When NYU assigned it "Childhood through the Centuries" I thought.)
>
>Quick study:
>http://www.webster.edu/~corbetre/philosophy/children/aries.html
>
>George Myers
>  
>