The most recommended Elizabethan era books

Not all archival work entails Indian Jones-style quests for hidden treasures; Steggle’s book—written at a crucial point when digital databases such as Early English Books Online and Google Books were accessible but rarely utilised to their maximum capabilities—proved how much crucial knowledge is hiding in plain sight. Steggle used a variety of search strategies to solve cruxes and mysteries that have plagued theatre historians for centuries, recovering the subject matter of lost plays that scholars routinely ignored on account of their opaque titles and scant evidence.

Critics argue that William Shakespeare did not write the works attributed to him because he lacked the knowledge of classical myth and history basic to his plots and imagery. Jonathan Bates proves that the curriculum of the grammar school in Stratford-on-Avon provided an education sufficient to explain Shakespeare’s plays and poems. Bate reviews books in English and Latin that Shakespeare would have read and that created his rhetorical brilliance. 

I treasure Bate’s biography because my own background originated in a rural, agricultural setting outside the social and economic circles that usually produce academic types. Bates disproves the fallacy that only the privileged and elite can survive and thrive in life and careers.

This book takes a fabulously rich dive into the rural lives and beliefs of a Tudor farming community in the Herefordshire village of Much Marcle, which is where my husband’s old family farm stands.

It is the story of a huge landslide, known locally as The Slip (we used to drink in a pub that still bears the name) at a time when anything that couldn’t be explained was thought to be the work of witches. 

I found the historical element of this book utterly fascinating, especially as I know the area so well, but it went beyond a local interest story and I was completely compelled by the narrative and the wonderfully vibrant cast of characters.

Tony Riches not only introduces us to the captivating and beautiful Penelope Devereux but all the grandeur and unbridled ambition of the Elizabethan age.

Richly researched, well told, and bringing vividly to the page many of the main players of this time, Penelope – Tudor Baroness tells the story of a remarkable woman, with the courage to live her life on her terms. 

I’m a fan of historical fiction, and love novels that portray the social norms and attitudes of other eras in all their contradictory messiness. This novel shares the Elizabethan age in England, with its wild new ideas (alchemy) and its rootedness in a superstitious past (a belief in witchcraft).

Alone while her husband is away, Martha’s healing skills bring her unwanted attention. She must set out on the road to find her husband, traveling northwards through the countryside, surviving by wit, intelligence, and determination. Both the richness of the upper class, and the isolated poverty of the working class, are portrayed.

The author’s wordsmithing is truly beautiful, with vivid descriptions of complex and unusual characters, the landscape, the weather, and all that Martha experiences as she survives her journey. I reread certain passages several times, reveling in the prose. Reading this book was like time traveling, and I highly recommend… show more.

Ian Mortimer gives us a fascinating insight into Elizabethan life, and I think this edition of his Time-Traveller’s Guide is as entertaining and informative as the others in the series.

I really enjoyed the details of everyday life, such as what would be in the kitchen or larder, although sometimes the lists were a little long. I enjoy the format of this type of book being written as a travel guide, it is educational as well as easy to read.

Shakespeare the Man is not the best book out there on William Shakespeare. There are many others that are better researched and less opinionated. However, Rowse gave me the best impression of what Shakespeare has meant to centuries of dramatists and researchers. It was recommended to me by the late Dr. John M. Bell of NYU, who was the most knowledgeable man on Shakespeare I've ever known. I see why he recommended this. It's a short but thorough read, and very enjoyable. Just don't treat Rowse's every word as gospel. His book is about Shakespeare, the man and myth.

A Dead Man in Deptford was the last published novel of Anthony Burgess’s lifetime and can be seen as a companion piece to his earlier fictional biography of William Shakespeare, Nothing Like the Sun. A Dead Man in Deptford follows Christopher Marlowe’s life, and Will of Warwickshire lurks very very much in the background of this novel. This somehow adds to the poignancy, as even within his own story, the reader is always aware that Marlowe’s era will be dominated by the name of William Shakespeare. 

Every time I wade into a play or see a production, I discover the language that describes the human condition perfectly. Pithy moments of insight juxtaposed and embedded in meaningful testimonies of why we do the things we do. As a writer, I believe there is no better teacher of the magic of the English language.

This book will appeal to people who love and know Shakespeare well or to people who don’t know Shakespeare very well but would like to know more about his famous plays.

I loved this book because Smith divides the book into relatively short chapters on each of the bard’s plays, for each of which she provides a unique and interesting perspective.

Smith is an entertaining and informative guide who looks for contemporary resonances, none of which feel forced. Having written a book about the Beatles, I know how daunting it can be to take up a subject about which much has already been said and written and try to look at it in a fresh way.

I can only hope my effort was half as successful as Smith’s is.