by Andrew Gurr
(second edition published by Cambridge University Press 1987, 1996)
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.