The Elizabethan Renaissance - by A L Rowse (Paperback)

About the Book

Back in print in a new paperback edition are these two volumes by A. L. Rowse that represent one of the great historical works of our time, a master historian's exploration of the social and cultural history of the Elizabethan Age. "Fascinating."-New York Times.

Book Synopsis

Back in print in a new paperback edition are these two volumes by A.L. Rowse that represent one of the great historical works of our time. They are a master historian's exploration of the social and cultural history of the Elizabethan Age. In The Life of the Society, Mr. Rowse surveys the life of each class of Englishmen from the Court downward, and presents a remarkable portrait of Elizabethan life and of the mentality, conscious and unconscious, to which the way of life gave rise. He portrays the life of the body as well as the life of the mind, including food and sanitation, sports and clothing, customs and beliefs, witchcraft and astrology-even the sex life of Elizabethans. In The Cultural Achievement he chronicles the astonishingly rich cultural flowering that marked the reign of Elizabeth I. He brings vividly to life the age's poetry, music, science, painting, sculpture, minor arts, and, above all, the tightly knit world of the theatre. Abundantly illustrated, together these volumes offer a richly rewarding reading experience.
"The book is so tightly packed with fascinating facts and fresh material that anyone at all seriously interested in Elizabethan England should delight in it."-New York Times.
"The Elizabethan Renaissance is created in such brilliant color and clarity that the reader can never forget it."-Irving Stone.

Review Quotes

"Everything you always wanted to know about Elizabethan England but were afraid to ask...a thorough snapshot of the time." --Library Journal

"Rowse makes dry bones not only live, but dance.... It is delightful that so exalted a historian should also accept human nature so happily." --Rebecca West

"The Elizabethan Renaissance is created in such brilliant color and clarity that the reader can never forget it." --Irving Stone

"So tightly packed with fascinating facts and fresh material that anyone at all seriously interested in Elizabethan England should delight in it." --The New York Times

Everything you always wanted to know about Elizabethan England but were afraid to ask...a thorough snapshot of the time.

Rowse makes dry bones not only live, but dance.... It is delightful that so exalted a historian should also accept human nature so happily.

So tightly packed with fascinating facts and fresh material that anyone at all seriously interested in Elizabethan England should delight in it.

The Elizabethan Renaissance is created in such brilliant color and clarity that the reader can never forget it.

About the Author

A. L. Rowse, who died in 1997, was an historian and man of letters, poet, biographer, and essayist. He explored the British experience in more than twenty books, including major biographies of Shakespeare and Marlowe. He is also the author of The Elizabethan Renaissance: The Cultural Achievement.