Grandpa has turned the old red davenport in the garage into a time machine. Three brass dials, one big lever, and the whole family can be at a Roman banquet by lunch and home on Maple Street in time for supper. But a well-brought-up family does not simply barge into the Middle Ages. You curtsy to the queen, you lie down politely at a Roman dinner, you never mention how the war turns out, and you never, ever meet yourself. Sixty polite skills, from packing a proper travel bag and greeting a knight to sending a homesick Viking back to 990. Every skill fits on one illustrated page.
“Every century is somebody’s home.”Grandpa, before every trip
Your family has eaten lying down in Rome, toasted with Vikings and had a knight to Sunday supper, and the neighbors are starting to talk. This book is the calm, kindly voice your household needs, written in the trusted style of the old family guides, with a painting for every step.
From getting to know the davenport to filling the photo album, every skill fits on a single page.
Painted 1950s scenes of Mother, Grandpa, the children and their guests from history show exactly what to do.
Bowing to a knight, saying “Ave!” in Rome, tea with Lady Agatha and supper in a pill in the year 2000.
A full-color paperback the size of a magazine, with color tabs on the edge of every page.
Each chapter opens with a full-page painting and a short introduction, then moves through its skills one page at a time.
Chapter One · Skills 01–07Dials, suitcases and a note for the milkman
Chapter Two · Skills 08–14Soft landings, kind greetings and a gift for the host
Chapter Three · Skills 15–21Lying down to dinner, eating without forks and the proper Viking toast
Chapter Four · Skills 22–28Togas, armor, bustles and the trouble with powdered wigs
Chapter Five · Skills 29–35Small talk, the right coins and never mentioning how things turn out
Chapter Six · Skills 36–41Watch your step, never meet yourself and leave history as you found it
Chapter Seven · Skills 42–48Flying cars, robot butlers and supper in a pill
Chapter Eight · Skills 49–54Knights for supper, a caveman in the yard and sending everyone home again
Chapter Nine · Skills 55–60Back to 1955, sand in the shoes and thank-you notes across the centuries
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A green side panel lists what to gather, from clean handkerchiefs and a sewing kit to a powdered wig and a tin of cookies for the host, with a picture of each item.
The skill number, its chapter, how long it takes and how hard it is. "Skill 02 · Before You Leave the Garage · 1 hour · Easy."
Six painted steps, each with a short title and plain instructions you can read across the kitchen, even with a Viking reading over your shoulder.
The things that go wrong, called out before they happen. “Leave the transistor radio at home. You cannot explain it, and the Middle Ages has no batteries.”
Tap a page to see it full size. Scroll sideways for more.
Sir Reginald, Senator Marcus, Grog, Olaf, Lady Agatha and Chester the robot butler: where to find them, how to greet them and what never to mention, plus table manners century by century.
The time traveler’s suitcase, what to check before you pull the lever, and the home-again list.
Landed in a moat, met yourself, squashed a butterfly, a Viking who won’t go home: a handy chart for every mishap.
Tick off each skill once you’ve done it, look up odd words like “trencher,” and find any topic fast.
The printed book is a full-color paperback with a glossy cover, the size of a magazine. Each copy is printed fresh when you order it and mailed to your door. Take a look inside above; the rest is waiting in the book.