The Elizabethan World

This comprehensive and beautifully illustrated collection of essays conveys a vivid picture of a fascinating and hugely significant period in history. Featuring contributions from thirty-eight international scholars, the book takes a thematic approach to a period which saw the defeat of the Spanish Armada, the explorations of Francis Drake and Walter Ralegh, the establishment of the Protestant Church, the flourishing of commercial theatre and the works of Edmund Spencer, Philip Sidney and William Shakespeare.

Encompassing social, political, cultural, religious and economic history, and crossing several disciplines, The Elizabethan World depicts a time of transformation, and a world order in transition. Topics covered include central and local government; political ideas; censorship and propaganda; parliament, the Protestant Church, the Catholic community; social hierarchies; women; the family and household; popular culture, commerce and consumption; urban and rural economies; theatre; art; architecture; intellectual developments ; exploration and imperialism; Ireland, and the Elizabethan wars. The volume conveys a vivid picture of how politics, religion, popular culture, the world of work and social practices fit together in an exciting world of change, and will be invaluable reading for all students and scholars of the Elizabethan period.

Susan Doran is a Senior Research Fellow in History at Jesus College, Oxford. She has written widely on the politics of the Elizabethan period, including Monarchy and Matrimony: The Courtships if Elizabeth I (1996) and Queen Elizabeth I (2004). She also edited the catalogue of the exhibition to commemorate the death of Elizabeth I held at the National Maritime Museum in 2003.  

Norman Jones is Professor and Chair of History at Utah State University. His many publications include The Birth of the Elizabethan Age: England in the 1560s (1992) and The English Reformation: Religion and Cultural Adaptation (2002). He is also co-editor of A Companion to Tudor Britain (2004).