During the reign of Elizabeth I, 1558-1603, England was transformed from a backward and isolated island to a leading military power and commercial center in which culture and the arts flourished. Filling the gaps left by other Shakespearean resources, Elizabethan World Reference Library covers the broad sweep of the culture of the times, from Elizabeths court to rural life, and from the New World explorations to the remarkable flowering of literature and drama for which the era is renowned. Perfect for both history and literatures studies, this set was designed with the student in mind: numerous illustrations for key visuals, chronology to maintain perspective, sidebars to add interest, words to know for additional clarification, subject index for easy navigation and many other features, such as research and activity ideas and further reading suggestions.

Biographies includes Shakespearean contemporaries and notables such as Walter Raleigh, Francis Drake, Francis Walsingham, Elizabeth I, Jane Grey, Francis Bacon, Catherine of Medici, James I, as well as Shakespeare himself.