"This work supplements the monumental efforts of the contributors to the second volume of A History of Private Life (ed. Georges Duby, 1988), especially because of its concern with English society, and lays a foundation for history of how medieval people actually experienced solitude and privacy.  Summing up: Highly recommended. Graduate students/faculty." -J. Harrie, CHOICE, April 2008, Vol. 45, No. 8  

J. Harrie

"a hugely enriching and insightful exploration of the medieval world."   Reviewed by Silvia Evangelisti in Times Higher Eduction Supplement, 2008

'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

Christopher Howse, Tablet, The