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The Age of Elizabeth,
by D.M. Palliser
(Longmans, London 1983)
Buy this book at
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Exceptionally
well organized, with some lively writing and many useful
details.
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The Armorial Bearings of the Guilds of London,
by John Bromley and Heather Child
(Warner Books HB 1960 - subsequently reprinted) |
This book
has the complete heraldry of the London guilds, with beautiful
color plates of their crests and seals. The text is very
well written and interesting, including brief histories
of the guilds and some details about how and where the crafts
were pursued. The illustrations of the guilds' heraldry
are beautiful and will provide plenty of material for artists
who are looking for sources. (I find the basket makers'
heraldry, with the simple motto "Love One Another," to be
quite touching). |
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Big
Chief Elizabeth: How England's Adventurers Gambled And Won
The New World,
by Giles Milton (Sceptre PB 2000, also available in hardback
from Hodder & Stoughton) |
There has
been some argument about the attitudes of the Elizabethan
settlers of the New World toward the original inhabitants,
with some modern critics claiming that the English despised
the Indians, others claiming that theirs was a fraternal
relationship. In fact both attitudes did exist, sometimes
among members of the same expedition. This book takes a
balanced look at both, as well as the way in which assorted
native tribes variously befriended and cheated the newcomers.
"Big Chief Elizabeth" is very well written by Giles Milton,
whose more famous book "Nathaniel's Nutmeg" chronicled the
wars between the British and Dutch over the spice trade.
Highly recommended to anyone with an interest in the history
of Elizabethan seamanship and exploration. |
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Birth,
Marriage & Death (Ritual, Religion, and the Life-cycle in
Tudor and Stuart England)
by David Cressy Oxford
Buy this book at
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|
The references
here are more Stuart than Tudor (reflecting, probably, the
greater wealth of surviving material), but almost every
page seems to have its little gem. This is an example of
the recent trend in history scholarship to look to hard
evidence and to the lives of the more "ordinary" people,
the dirty details, as it were. It serves to remind that
people in the past were not the cardboard cutout characters
so often portrayed in "history" books but rather people
with lives every bit as complex and confusing as our own.
- Review by Deward Hastings
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The
Book of Trades (Standebuch),
by Jost Amman and Hans Sachs
Buy this book at
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In 1568,
the most famous poet in Germany and the finest woodcut artist
in Europe joined forces to produce a book. The subject would
be no less than "An exact description of all ranks and skills
on Earth". The book they created fell somewhat short of
that lofty ambition, but it is a splendid resource for the
reenactor. Jost Amman's beautifully detailed woodcuts of
artisans in their workshops give us a splendid view of a
craftsman's life, and Sachs brief poems which caption each
picture frame the place of the artist in society. The costumes
are of course all German, but the details of the workplace
would be the same. If you want to see an Elizabethan thimble
maker's workshop, a bell foundry, or a dentist at work,
this is the book you are looking for.
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The
Civilization of Europe in the Renaissance,
by John Hale
Buy this book at
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On first
glance this book seems to take on an impossible task; no,
more than one. Describe the civilization of even one country
in even 649 pages, much less a whole continent? John Hales'
masterwork does exactly that. This book examines so many
ideas that even to mention them all in a review is impractical,
but it does them in the framework of one huge idea: to describe
the nature of Europe and Europeans before the huge revolution
in ideas that was the renaissance, and to see how it changed,
destroyed, and nurtured other ideas and arts. This may be
the most brilliant survey of a historical epoch ever written,
and it is absorbing reading from beginning to end. Read
this book and you will get a sense of context that will
help you understand everything else you know.
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The
Customs and Ceremonies of Britain,
by Charles Knightly
Thames and Hudson PB 1986 |
Want to know
how to properly celebrate Hocktide or Shrove Tuesday? Curious
about the custom of Dicing for Bibles, as practiced in the
Cambridgeshire village of Saint Ives? Want to know how to
conduct a candle auction? This useful book gives the dates
and appropriate celebrations for all manner of traditional
English and Scottish holidays, as well as some ancient customs
of weddings, funerals, and other more personal events. This
book is lively and amusing as well as useful for reference. |
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Daily
Life In Elizabethan England,
by Jeffrey L. Singman.
Buy this book at
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This has
a nice text-book feel without being a textbook The descriptions
are concise and easy to read. Good high school reading.
- Review by Jodi Karstad-Clark |
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The
Description of England: The Classic Contemporary Account
of Tudor Social Life
By William Harrison, 1587; reprinted by Dover |
I would described
this book as a Fodor's guide to 16C England-- eclectic coverage
of all aspects of 16C England by an author who is unabashedly
proud to be English to the extent the book is downright
hilarious in spots. Original text, modern typeface, minor
spelling regularization, but otherwise written in the grammar
and language of the day. Good source for the beliefs and
attitudes and writing style of the times (he with the most
words wins.) Also a source of archaic slang and juicy period
descriptive terms such as 'goose turd green' as well as
information on everything from weights and measures to ordinance,
law to fashion, and foods to religion. I tend to browse
this book rather than read cover to cover.
- Review by Gaffer Applewright |
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Discovering
Stained Glass,
by Harries and Hicks
Buy this book at
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The best
introduction to Medieval (and other) glasswork in Britain
that I have seen anywhere is a little book from Shire publications,
little in form, that is, but big on content, titled Discovering
Stained Glass.
(Read full review
by Deward Hastings) |
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The
Elizabethans and America,
by A.L. Rowse (Macmillan 1959)
Buy this book at
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A person
could amass a respectable library of Elizabethan history
just by buying every book ever written by A.L. Rowse, who
turned out over fifty volumes during his long life (editor's
note: Amazon is listing over 100.). Rowse is always readable
and lively, and in this book he is at his best. The history
of the Elizabethan voyages to North America is one of bravery,
extravagance, brilliant seamanship, and complete financial
failure. Virtually every investor in the American voyages
lost a bundle of money, but they kept investing anyway,
spurred by the obvious wealth of the new territories. Some
interesting, noble, and eccentric characters are covered
in this book, and it is possible to see in these visionaries
the first seeds of a set of cultural traits which we now
consider to be very American. |
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The
Elizabethans at Home,
by Elizabeth Burton.
(Longmans HB 1970, Arrow PB 1973)
Buy this book at
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This book
is quite misnamed - it is not really about Elizabethans
at home, but about Elizabethan homes, tastes in furniture,
clothing, ornament, food, music, poetry, perfume- in short,
about nearly everything but its title. It is nevertheless
a wonderful resource. Ms. Burton has a smooth, chatty style
that is quite endearing, and she has written a very good
guide to Elizabethan taste and style. The illustrations
are also first-class, if occasionally more beautiful than
useful- it would have been nice if there were some captions
so you know what you are looking at. |
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The
Elizabethan Home,
discovered in two dialogues
(Hollyband, Caludius)
Buy this book at
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How did schoolchildren
and middle class households live in 1600? Two dialogue books
, written in about 1600, tell us how. The dialogues were
used to teach French and Italian and are very interesting
and give us much insight into Elizabethan home life. This
book is currently out of print but amazon.com can get it
for you for a price. (I have purchased two copies from them).
- Review by David Howells |
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The
Elizabethan House of Commons,
by J.E. Neale
(Jonathan Cape HB 1949 but reprinted many times in paper
by Penguin Books) |
Elizabethan
government was messy and fascinating, and this book does
more than perhaps any other to sort it out. The theoretical
ideas behind the Elizabethan Parliament are here, but so
are the odd effects of centuries of eccentric jurisdictions
and local rivalries. The pervasive corruption is here too,
and we are given interesting glimpses of how local sheriffs
manipulated elections, intimidated voters, and generally
twisted the system. Highly readable, and highly recommended. |
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An
Elizabethan Journal,
by G.B. Harrison
Originally published 1929, covering 1591-1594- later editions
cover
Buy this book at
|
1591-1600. Cosmopolitan Books, New York)
Buy this book at
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Professor
Harrison had a brilliant idea: to compile a chronological
record of London gossip, diary entries, local news, and
rumors. The result is splendid - we are used to reading
about the doings of the great in a historical perspective,
and it is wonderful to read about both the mighty and the
lowly as contemporary people would have. Very highly recommended.
(Several editions, some containing more material than others.
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The
Elizabethan World Picture,
by E.M.W. Tillyard,
(Vintage/Random House, 1943)
Buy this book at
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Possibly
the best-ever explanation of the philosophy of the Great
Chain of Being, a concept which is vital to an understanding
of Sixteenth
Century intellectual life. |
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English
Sports and Pastimes,
by Christina Hole
(B.T. Batsford 1949 HB; reprinted several times)
Buy this book at
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|
Though written
in a somewhat old-fashioned style, this book is well worth
seeking out for detailed descriptions of traditional outdoor
sports and games. The first edition (referenced above, and
unfortunately the one I have) is likely to be the most expensive
and least useful- in every copy I have seen, a bindery error
caused several pages to be inserted out of order and some
not included at all, which makes for frustrating reading.
Turning page 84 (dice games) and finding that the next page
is number 169 (description of a masquerade) can be somewhat
trying. Those of calm and gentle temper may still find useful
information among those pages which have been inserted in
proper order, or even better, they can get the edition which
has page 85 right where it belongs. |
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Everyday
Life in Renaissance Times,
by E.R. Chamberlin
(Several editions) |
This book
is strangely flawed. First, the good points: interesting
writing, excellent organization, and plenty of relevant
graphics. The bad: No footnotes or documentation, making
it useless as a historical source. The graphics are also
curious: most are simplified reproductions of period pieces,
again without sources or references to the originals. Why
did they have a modern artist draw a picture of a woodcut
of ships loading merchandise in 1547? If we want to see
the original, where can we find it? No clues here, and no
recommendation for this book. |
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Forgotten
English: A Merry Guide to Antiquated Words,
by Jeffrey Kacirk
(Morrow HB 1997) |
Have you
ever wondered what Shakespeare meant when he called someone
a moon-calf, or what it means to be baker-legged? This delightful
little book explains these and other outdated expressions,
and it's a charming gift for anyone who simply loves language. |
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Get
a Life 2: More than you ever wanted to know about Queen
Elizabeth I,
by Philip h (Macmillan Children's Books, London, 1999)
Available at Amazon UK
|
|
This humorous
children's book (written on about a fourth grade reading
level) tells many interesting and humorous facts about Elizabeth
I. (i.e. what she did to courtiers who farted). Kind of
jauntily written but an easy 45 minute read.
Review by David Howells |
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Horrible
Histories: The Terrible Tudors,
by Terry Deary and Neil Tonge
(Scholastic Children's Books: Scholastic Publications, London
1993)
Available at Amazon UK
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"History
with the nasty bits left in". This enormously popular series
of humorous history books (in Britain it's even more popular
than the "Goosebumps" series) takes a stab at the Tudor
era. Covers topics such as "Terrible Tudor Life- and Death"
"Terrible Tudor Schools" (including what you would eat at
one) "Let's play doctor- match the illness with the cure".
Plus- crime and punishment, witch trials, food (with easy
recipes) Fun and Games (Renaissance games you can play and
Renaissance Games You Should Not Play) Clothing and Life
for Women. An enjoyable and funny book written on about
a seventh grade level. A two hour read.
Review by David Howells |
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Horrible
Histories: Even More Terrible Tudors,
by Terry Deary
(Scholastic Children's Books: Scholastic Publications, London
1998)
Available at Amazon UK
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Who invited
Queen Elizabeth I to visit his toilet? This and other fascinating
questions are answered in this sequel to Horrible Histories:
The Terrible Tudors: Lot's of stuff on King Henry, Elizabeth
and the Earle of Essex. Lot's of hilarious information on
the Queens progress' (including bowel movements). The sequel
is actually a better read than the original. Both have a
lot of good information for gigs. Seventh grade reading
level. A two hour read.
Review by David Howells |
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The
House of Tudor,
by Alison Plowden
(Stein and Day, 1976) |
An excellent
overview of the Tudor dynasty; very good for anyone who
is interested in relationships within the family. It is
particularly illuminating in regards to the relationships
between Henry and his children, but oddly brief and incomplete
regarding Elizabeth's attempts to marry. |
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A
Journal of the Plague Year : Being Observations
or Memorials of the Most Remarkable Occurrences, As Well
Publick As Private, Which Happened in London,
by Daniel Defoe, Louis Landa(Editor)
(Paperback - December 1998) |
First published
about 1720, the fictional journal of a survivor of the London
plague of 1664, written by a man who did (as a child) witness
and survive that plague. Drawing on personal recollections
and abundant contemporary material Defoe paints a vivid
account of the unimaginable horror of the plague. Of times
when the man with whom you did break fast might be seen
on the death cart that even. Some did pray and some did
party. "Eat drink and be merry for on the morrow you shall
die," was a common response as was Devil worship as people
felt they had been abandoned. Though written much later
than the 16C we portray, medical science and public attitudes
have not changed significantly making "A Journal of the
Plague Year" a must for anyone interested in understanding,
portraying or commenting on the plague or our 16C attitudes
toward plague etc. A astonishing book from the hand of the
author of Robinson Crusoe.
Review by Gaffer Applewright |
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Medieval
Bridges,
Martin Cook Shire Publications Ltd. ISBN 0 7478
0384 6
Buy this book at
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|
"Medieval
Bridges" covers another necessary aspect of any road network
in rainy and river crossed England. No Roman bridges remain
intact, and only hints of medieval (or Tudor) bridges made
of timber, but quite a number of medieval stone bridges
remain in use to this day, as they and others clearly were
in Tudor times . . . quite a tribute to the masons who designed
and built them over five hundred years ago. This book discusses,
among other details, those masons, the "masons' lodges"
which housed them as they traveled from job to job, and
the funding mechanisms which paid their wage, as well as
considerable detail concerning architectural "style" (often
similar to, except in sheer bulk, and clearly derived from,
Church construction of their day). We're talking major structures
here, many today carrying motor cars and trucks where once
carts and wagons rolled. 37 pictures; several maps; bibliography
and guide. |
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Medieval
Roads and Tracks,
Paul Hindle Shire Publications Ltd.
ISBN 0 7478 0390 0
Buy this book at
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|
"Medieval
Roads" opens with a chapter on travel in medieval times,
and quickly and thoroughly makes the case that there was
far more of it than we nowadays imagine. Included are such
tidbits as that English place names containing "gate" come
usually not from "gate" as we now understand the word but
rather from "gate" in old Danish, where it meant "road".
Gives different meaning to "twelve gates to the city", doesn't
it? The author notes also the familiar: "Then longen folk
to goon on pilgrimages . . . And Specially from every shires
ende Of Engelond to Canterbury they wende . . ." and points
out that "Chaucer . . . takes it for granted that his readers
know the road [taken in the "Tales"], and he never mentions
any difficulty of travel." Indeed not, though he does make
mention of roadhouses and Inns of the sort which everywhere
supported (and were in turn supported by) travelers. But
that's another subject, not covered by the book at hand.
48 illustrations (maps, pictures); discussion of documentary
evidence, map evidence, and archaeological evidence; bibliography.
Review by Deward Hasting |
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Nathaniel's
Nutmeg,
by Giles Milton
(Penguin PB 1999, 388 pages, ISBN # 0-14-029260-8) |
The spice
trade to the East Indies was a fixation of every English
merchant, for nowhere in the world were fortunes to be made
so readily. England started late, with a relatively small
fleet of poorly equipped ships facing the might of the Spanish,
Portuguese, and Dutch. This splendidly written book details
the struggle for dominance of the trade in cloves, nutmeg,
and pepper, and gives character portraits of the often eccentric
people who risked their lives on unknown seas and wild islands.
It is not a perfect book and contains a few careless errors,
such as giving Sir Francis Drake the command of the fight
against the Armada. It is nevertheless both an enjoyable
and enlightening read. |
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The
Oxford Literary Guide to the British Isles,
edited by Dorothy Eagle and Hilary Carnell
(Several editions)
Buy this book at
|
|
Want to know
every house, field, church, and bramble bush associated
with Shakespeare, Jonson, or Sir Philip Sidney? This will
not only tell you where they are, but where they were. It
is very handy if you want to know where people lived and
if anything is still standing there, and would be useful
for a literary obsessive who is planning a trip. Authors,
playwrights, and poets both famous and obscure, from every
era up to modern times, are listed here. The descriptions
are sometimes terse and presume a high level of familiarity
with classic literature, but this is a good resource nevertheless. |
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|
 Pelican
Social History of Britain: Sixteenth Century England,
by Joyce Youings (1984)
Buy this book at
|
|
A very good introduction to Elizabethan
society, with a well-organized index. |
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The
Prince
by Nicolo Machiavelli, 1513 (modern translations available) |
Machiavelli
tells it as it is, not as we might wish it to be, and for
this honesty has been tarred and feathered by every political
idealist to follow him. By Shakespeare's time "Machiavellian"
had become a synonym for double dealing and deceit, a most
unjust use of the name of a very perceptive realist. Read
and learn about power politics in a day and age that permitted
no second place winners. The more recent translations seem
to have the least political spin and see the man and his
works for what they are, and do not damn him because he
does not say what they wish. Equally applicable to Bill
Gates or Henry VIII.
Review by Gaffer Applewright |
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The
Rise and Fall of Merry England,
by Ronald Hutton
(Oxford Paperbacks, Oxford University Press ISBN 0-19-285327-9
(pbk, also available hbk |
The author
appears to have examined every parish ledger, court record,
household account, or other document which survives from
Tudor England, as well as the rants of every offended cleric.
The result is alternately tedious and fascinating. He chronicles
the onset of Puritanism in England, and the bulk of the
references are 16th century. His recounting of the "church
ales" and "May poles" of early Tudor times leaves them sounding
a lot like the "kegger" parties we know and love, and the
denunciations have a timeless air about them too.
Review by Deward Hastings |
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The
Royal Diaries: Elizabeth I, Red Rose of the House of Tudor,
by Kathryn Lasky
(Scholastic HB 199,
ISBN 0-590-6484-1) |
This fast-moving
and well-crafted piece of fiction is the diary that Queen
Elizabeth the First never actually wrote. Though the prose
throughout is in a modern style and many of the entries
show modern ideas about subjects such as class and relationships,
the whole effect is still fairly convincing. This is an
excellent book for a younger reader, and children from seven
to twelve should find it an absorbing introduction to both
the person and the era. With any luck they will go on from
here and read some history. |
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Town
Government In The Sixteenth Century,
by J. H. Thomas
(Allen & Unwin 1933, reprinted several times) |
For those
interested in how town government worked, and how well,
this book is an excellent resource. James Henry Thomas gives
a good overview of how things were supposed to work and
then measures how well they actually did, using records
compiled from the statute books, legal histories, and other
records of several English regions. The writing is clear
and occasionally humorous, often giving surprising details
of the lives of everyday people who did their part to make
the system function or ran afoul of it when things broke
down. This may be hard to find, but it is very worthwhile. |
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Tudor
Economic Documents,
Edited by R.H. Tawney and Eileen Power
(Longmans, Green, & Co., New York - 1st Edition 1924, 2nd
Edition 1951) |
If
you really want a feel for the ways the Elizabethans wrote
official papers, you must have this book. Here are Elizabethan
contracts, indentures, leases, writs, bills, patents, rental
agreements - every bit of paperwork having to do with everyday
life. The little details are sometimes enlightening, sometimes
as frustrating as the famous incident in Shakespeare's will
in which he leaves his second-best bed to his wife and never
says what happened to the best one. There is splendid source
material here. |
|
Drake:
England's Greatest Seafarer,
by Ernie Bradford
(Dorset Press, 1991) |
This book
presents Drake not only as a great seafarer, but also a
tactical genius, and as such is at odds with some other
works -- such as The Armada Papers (see below). Drake was
undoubtably a great sailor and leader, but some other accounts
show him to have been a bit erratic; this book glosses over
or forgives all of his mistakes at the Armada battles, Lisbon,
and Panama. The book is very well written and quite entertaining
in any case, and a good companion to more skeptical works. |
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The
Great O'Neill,
by Sean O'Faolain
(Mercier Press, Dublin 1986)
Buy this book at
|
|
A fascinating
history of Elizabeth's great enemy, the rebellious Irish
Earl who almost wrested control of the Emerald Isle from
the English. This is the very best biography of O'Neill,
and provides excellent source material on Irish history
throughout the Sixteenth Century. |
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The
Life and Times of Elizabeth I,
by Neville Williams
(first published in 1972
by Weidenfeld & Nicolson, an imprint of Orion Books Ltd.,
London
- more recently republished in 1998 by Welcome Rain, New
York, New York)
Buy this book at
|
|
This is an
oversized paperback of about 200 pages. It contains excellent
and numerous pictures to keep even readers who are less
inclined to actually read, busy. It focuses on nearly all
aspects of Queen Elizabeth's history and gives brief but
detailed accounts of many other historical figures who interacted
with her during her life. Even if you just flip through
the pages, look only at the pictures and glance at their
descriptions, you will learn plenty! Enjoy! |
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A
London Life in the Brazen Age, Francis
Langley; 1548-1602,
by William Ingram
Buy this book at
|
London 1500-1700: The Making of the Metropolis,
Edited by A.L. Beier & Roger Finlay
Buy this book at
|
|
Francis Langley
was a piece of work . . . a slimeball, a scumbag, and for
most of his life an immodest success at it. Come to London
as a youth with but a few pounds and an uncle's address
in his pocket, apprenticed with no desire as a Draper, he
became over the next few decades one of the City's more
significant moneylenders. At a time when usury laws limited
"interest" to ten per cent, Langley, though not the inventor
of it, became a master of the "late payment penalty", or
"bond" as it was then called (often in amounts twice exceeding
the original loan), and prospered by lending to those who,
while still possessed of redeemable assets, were unlikely
to be able to timely repay....
(Read full
review by Deward Hastings) |
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Shakespeare's
Southampton,
by A.L. Rowse
(Macmillan, London 1965) |
The Earl
of Southampton was Shakespeare's patron in the early stages
of both mens' careers. Shakespeare became the most famed
playwright in history; his patron spent much of his life
in jail or under suspicion of Catholic beliefs, but was
released in later life and became one of the driving forces
behind the settlement of Virginia. This book is well written
and highly recommended. |
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|
Statesman
and Saint,
by Jasper Ridley
(Viking HB, New York 1983)
Buy this book at
|
|
While this
book is about the days of Henry VIII rather than his daughter
Elizabeth, there is much in this volume that is relevant
to the whole Tudor period. The Statesman referred to here
is Cardinal Wolsey, the Saint is Sir Thomas More, and the
conclusions are quite surprising to those whose only knowledge
of More is the play "A Man For All Seasons". (The original
title of this work was "The Statesman and the Fanatic,"
if that tells you anything.) The politics of King Henry
VIII and the careers of these two men- a not very religious
man of the church, and an overly religious man of the state
- are examined in fine detail. There is masterful and enlightening
writing here, and after you read this book a lot of things
about the Elizabethan power structure suddenly make sense. |
|
Alias
Shakespeare,
by Joseph Sobran
(Simon & Schuster HB 1997,
ISBN # 0-684-83658-5;
paperback editions also available) |
"Alias Shakespeare"
is the book that anti-Stratfordians point to as the best
explanation of why someone else must have written all of
the works attributed to a gentleman with the initials W.S.
Joseph Sobran is sure that William Shakespeare can't have
written them because... well he just can't have, so there.
Mr. Shakespeare wasn't well traveled enough or rich enough
to have been to all the places he described in his work,
so he can't have written any of it. Sobran is a clever and
insistent arguer, but he is not convincing here. The fact
that the Earl of Oxford died in 1604 and that are references
in several plays to subsequent events is just too much to
gloss over, and Sobran's excuses do not hold water. Like
many revisionist histories this book is interesting reading,
but it is more an extended literary conspiracy theory than
an anything else. I have yet to see any work claiming that
P.J. O'Rourke wrote all the newspaper columns attributed
to Joseph Sobran, but I guess I will only have to wait.
|
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The
Elizabethan Theatre,
Edited by David Galloway
(Archon Books HB 1970) |
First it
must be clear that this is not a book about Elizabethan
plays. This is a book about the buildings those plays were
performed in -- the Theatre. If you are interested in the
design of the stages and seating, the quality and technique
of stagecraft, in the experience of being a theatergoer
in Shakespeare's day, you need this book. This is actually,
as the subtitle announces, a compendium of "Papers given
at the International Conference on Elizabethan Theatre held
at the University of Waterloo in July 1968." The writing
is academic but surprisingly vigorous and enjoyable. Among
the subjects covered are the conflicts between theatre owners
and the Law, the methods used to get around the Privy Council's
order for the destruction of all London theatres, and an
attempt to reconstruct the Cockpit-in-Court, a playhouse
built in 1596. |
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Playgoing
in Shakespeare's London,
by Andrew Gurr, Second edition published by Cambridge University
Press 1987, 1996)
Buy this book at
|
|
Gurr's book
paints an excellent portrait of the people for whom Shakespeare
wrote his plays, the buildings in which they took place,
and the cultural climate of the times, right down to the
smell of the theatres. Included in the work are detailed
descriptions of the social range of playgoers, the evolution
of their theatrical tastes, and the physical conditions
in which they lived, witnessed, and helped to create their
theatrical experiences.
Review by Jodi Karstad-Clark |
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Renaissance
Drama by Women: Texts and Documents,
Edited by S.P. Cerasno and Marion Wynne Davies
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This book
is mostly useful for its descriptions of female audiences
and playwrights, but has other useful information. There
are some excellent references to primary sources cited to
document women as playgoers.
Review by Jodi Karstad-Clark |
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Shakespeare:
His Life, Work, and Era,
by Dennis Kay
(Morrow, New York 1992)
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This is an
excellent work which puts Shakespeare in context, both as
a man and as an author. Along with the meticulous but interesting
biography there are sections on English theater before the
Shakespeare era, the type of education available to a countryman
at the time, and the social circle in which Shakespeare
found himself. Along the way, there is plenty of information
to refute anyone who claims that Marlowe or Bacon wrote
Shakespeare. This is a very good and informative read, and
you may find yourself watching the plays with a new sense
of enjoyment. |
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Shakespeare's
Festive World: Elizabethan Seasonal Entertainment and the
Professional Stage,
by Francois Laroque |
This work
gives a detailed analysis of a lot of the symbolism and
structure of Shakespeare's plays as they relate to the traditional
holidays and celebrations of the time. Half of the book
is purely anthropological in describing the holidays and
their seasonal cycles. The other half is devoted to analyzing
the plays.
Review by Jodi Karstad-Clark |
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The
Voyage of the Armada,
by David Howarth
(Penguin Books 1981)
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There is only one great book about the
Spanish Armada, and this is it. I read it and resolved to
read everything else Howarth has ever written, and I'm glad
I did. |
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Il
Libro dell' Arte (The Craftsman's Handbook),
by Cennino d'Andrea Cennini, translated by Daniel V. Thompson,
Jr., 1960, Dover Publications |
Of great use to the student of
Renaissance painting and illumination. This is a primary
source for painting methods, written in 15th century Florence.
While most of Cennini's methods are superseded by modern
technology (who needs to know how to keep miniver tails
from getting moth eaten?), the descriptions for techniques
such as gilding, making period transparent paper, ink making,
and metalpoint are invaluable. As with most period "how-to"
books, it is as much a commentary as it is a manual; Cennini
livens up the page with advice for the fledgling artist
such as the proper frame of mind for entering the profession,
and how to stop shaking hands by staying away from women.
Review by Jennifer McGaw |
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The
Materials and Techniques of Medieval Painting,
by Daniel V. Thompson, 1956, Dover Publications |
This book
is a compilation of art techniques and material creation
from period sources, recipes, and modern-day art analysis.
Everything from foundations to pigments to glazes is covered
in exhaustive detail. Highly recommended.
Review by Jennifer McGaw |
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How
to Paint Like the Old Masters,
by Joseph Shepard, 1983, Watson/Guptill Publications |
Figuring out exactly *how* the Masters
did it is the hardest part about getting started. This book
showed me the way: a step-by-step manual with plenty of
progress pictures, recipes, and color lists for a variety
of artists' styles. Nothing can beat actual experimentation,
but this book will give you a big head start.
Review by Jennifer McGaw |
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Miniature
Painting: A Complete Guide to Techniques, Mediums, and Surfaces,
by Joan Cornish Willies, 1995, Watson/Guptill Publications. |
A modern-day
practitioner of this most ancient art, Willies takes us
step-by-step through the exacting process of making a "painting
in small." Materials and, most importantly, suppliers are
listed.
Review by Jennifer McGaw |
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Calligraphy
and Illumination: A History and Practical Guide,
by Patricia Lovett, 2000,
Henry N. Abrams, Inc. |
An exhaustive,
lavishly illustrated volume detailing the making of illuminated
manuscripts and books. Everything is covered: from making
your own quills to gilding to recreating period hands like
uncials and Carolinian minuscule to bookbinding is here.
There is also an extensive (perhaps too much so, for the
stated subject matter) section on heraldry.
Review by Jennifer McGaw |
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The
English Renaissance Miniature,
by Sir Roy Strong, 1983,
Thames and Hudson. |
The miniature
is, arguably, one of the most important trends of the English
Tudor period; so here is the Dean of Tudor Art to give us
an overview of the working artists of the period, from Horenbout
to Oliver. Not many color plates in this book, curiously,
but the information spans the age well without getting mired
down in too many details.
Review by Jennifer McGaw |
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Dynasties:
Painting in Tudor and Jacobean England 1530-1630,
edited by Karen Hearn,
Rizzoli International Publications. |
This book,
from the exhibition of the same name, is one of the best
in showing an overview of all English art, not "just" miniature
painting. Lavishly illustrated (not a single B&W in the
book), with a number of hard-to-find plates, an extensive
chronology and bibliography, and a phenomenal scientific
evaluation of three period paintings.
Review by Jennifer McGaw |
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Tudor
Artists,
by Erna Auerbach, 1954,
The Athelone Press (out of print). |
This book
is for the serious student: what started out as a discussion
of artists working on the Plea Roll illuminations turned
into an overview of all painters working in England during
the reigns of Henry VIII to Elizabeth I. Auerbach shows
exhaustive research through the primary sources, finding
documentary evidence for the lives and works of artists
employed by the royal household. Also included are biographical
notes, the text of warrants and other documents, and a tremendous
bibliography.
Review by Jennifer McGaw |
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The
English Icon,
by Sir Roy Strong, 1969,
Pantheon Books. |
Mostly B&W
with a few scattered tipped-in plates ( color plates that
have been printed separately and then glued into the book).
*The* reference book for this subject.
Review by Jennifer McGaw |
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Tudor
and Jacobean Portraits,
by Sir Roy Strong, 1969,
Her Majesty's Stationary Office
(2 volumes). |
Strong picks
up where "Icon" left off, this time showing provenance,
site, and detail shots. The paintings are categorized by
sitter, and it is invaluable to be shown the different variations
of the same painting by different hands (a common occurrence
in this period).
Review by Jennifer McGaw |
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The
Sixteenth and Seventeenth-Century Miniatures in the Collection
of Her Majesty the Queen,
by Graham Reynolds, 1999,
Deloitte & Touche. |
A few years
back someone got the great idea of photographing and cataloging
all of the miniatures that Elizabeth II owns. A book was
proposed; it was later decided to expand this to three volumes.
This is the second book of the series, and for our purposes
is more valuable for the first 100 pages. Clear, crisp,
clean photos, some of never-before seen miniatures. Full
provenance and material listing.
Review by Jennifer McGaw |
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The
Lives of the Painters, Sculptors, and Architects,
by Giorgio Vasari
(various publications, both abridged and unabridged). |
Also called
"Vasari's Lives", this is the premier primary source for
information regarding the artists, commissions, and techniques
of the 16th century. Highly informational, gossipy, and
sometimes wildly (and hysterically) inaccurate; nonetheless
a good resource.
Review by Jennifer McGaw |
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Renaissance
Portraits,
by Lorne Campbell, 1990,
Yale University Press. |
A good overview
of the Renaissance movement, this book includes information
on both Italian and Northern portraits (which so many fail
to do). The information covers the techniques, styles, creation,
and uses of the portrait in society.
Review by Jennifer McGaw |
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Durer
to Veronese: Sixteenth Century Painting in the National
Gallery,
1999,
Yale University Press. |
Not just
a catalogue of the National Gallery's collection, this book
seeks to describe the conditions and society in which the
works were created. Religion, societal themes, inventions
and developments in painting, techniques, methods, and imagery
are all discussed in this lavishly illustrated volume.
Review by Jennifer McGaw |
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Stained
Glass in England During the Middle Ages,
by Richard Marks
University of Toronto Press, ISBN 0-8020-0592-6
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Although
Tudor times were "poor" by many of our modern standards,
in some ways even the poorest Elizabethans were as "rich",
or perhaps even richer, than are we today....
(Read
full review by Deward Hastings) |
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