History of Childbirth: Fertility, Pregnancy and Birth in Early Modern Europe

"With great erudition and an enviable feeling for the material, Gélis recovers the world of beliefs concerned with fertility, pregnancy, childbirth and infancy ... from medieval times down to modernity ... This book will surely become the standard scholarly text on the history of childbirth in pre-modern time." Roy Porter, Wellcome Institute

"A moving record of women's lives." Times Literary Supplement

"It is immensely valuable that Gélis brings back the forgotten importance of symbolic meanings and therefore the awareness of an integration with nature." Times Higher Education Supplement

"Much fascinating information and many anecdotes ... it is such a good book." History Today

"The variety and detail make compulsive reading." Medical History

"A significant work ... it offers a wealth of new material and points to many rich areas for further research." French History

"A breathtaking view of pre-modern rural and urban life ... this book successfully conjures up the world of our foremothers and their daily lives and beliefs." Medical Women

"Enjoyable, informative and very readable." Journal of Biosocial Science