Every year hundreds of public and private educators, parents, professionals, and students of
all age levels send letters to Mr Young expressing their gratitude to him for creating a light and refreshing yet very academic atmosphere in which audiences are encouraged to compare their own time and place with that of historical people.
Through this unique comparison, audiences can more clearly see
the 'pros'... and 'cons' of any time period. This smart approach allows students to visualize past cultures as once truly 'alive' like their own time, as part of a logical continuum leading to their own time, and just as important an period as their own modern world.
Andrew Young's shows shed light on numerous topics from late Antiquity to the Renaissance (i.e. the full span of the Middle Ages) that are often fraught with fiction and utter mis- understanding: knights and knighthood, feudalism, chivalry, heraldry, castles and the daily life and trappings associated with the nobility, the middle class and peasants.
Notably, Andrew Young is a master armourer, costume and prop maker and reproduction specialist with over 15 years experience...giving him a truly unique insight into the use of real armor and all the trappings of knight hood....but also hands on knowledge of how these things were actually created !
His own library consists of over 2500 texts and studies on a range of historical subjects from archeology to anthropology.
Mr Young also provides consultation and has worked on several film TV/Film projects and promotional events. Andrew has also provided reproduction work for Emmy award winning special effects artists, high profile designers and sculptors who's work can be seen in numerous films.
...Mr. Young's non-violent yet lively programs wash away the dry and stuffy approach often associated with historical lectures. Educators and audiences enjoy his down-to-earth candor in which he is able to effectively shrink the distance between modern audiences and those who lived long ago. His sense of humor keeps the atmostphere upbeat an lively...
For over 15 years Andrew Young has provided countless public and private schools, colleges, museums, private centers, homes, churches and social organizations with an intelligent and witty and 'hands -on' approach to understanding the real' Middle Ages....
As a responsible parent himself, Andrew does not believe in 'glorifying' violence. For example when discussing knighthoold and armor (as constantly requested) he concentrates on the fascinating evolution of the equipment, its ingenious complexity, functionality, and breathtaking artistry. Indeed, some of the suits of armor created by late Medieval smiths, stand alone as the most complex metal working ever created. Even NASA has studied armor engineering ! Today, movies often draw upon these historical influences as well!
If you are a private school or you have a strong ethnic population, Mr Young takes special care to treat your center and population with the utmost respect; bearing in mind, of course, his needs to unload and transport his equipment , as well as speak. Though rare, in cases whereupon a sensitive subject or question might arise (such as religious philosophy, the Crusades, etc) Mr Young attempts to explain things from a largely archeological or material-culture standpoint that allows teachers and students to understand the period better.
