Elizabethan News Pamphlets: Shakespeare, Spenser, Marlowe & the Birth of Journalism (Medieval and Renaissance Literary Studies) [Hardcover]

Paul J. Voss (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 2001 | ISBN-10: 0820703214 | ISBN-13: 978-0820703213

Elizabethan News Pamphlets is the first book to explore comprehensively the production and dissemination of the Elizabethan news pamphlets published between 1589-1593. This book collects, defines, and investigates the nearly 60 extant news quartos, and also examines their relationship to the birth of journalism, the writings of Marlowe, Shakespeare, and Spenser, the rise of national identity, and the complexities of national identity. This archival work begins with the actions of the charismatic Henry of Navarre. After Navarre became King of France in 1589, scores of printed documents presented his struggles with the Catholic League. The considerable involvement of English soldiers in the wars created a captive market for the news pamphlets. Elizabethans readily purchased the news quartos and soon Navarre became the most widely known non-English personality of the day. The pamphlets play an important role in the history of journalism and publications. The roots of journalism took hold during this period as a sophisticated notion of objectivity and soon serial publications resulted from this consistent, regular publication. The sudden end to the wars in 1593 ended both the flood of news reports and serial publications. The documents also provide a significant contribution to our understanding of English national identity. While scholars have studied the writings of numerous "discursive communities" and how these communities viewed England, the writings about war have received far less scrutiny. This book examines scores of archival documents in constructing a social, literary, religious, and political history of the 1590s.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The documents are fascinating and Voss discusses them effectively, quoting aptly and providing excellent photographs of sample pages." -- Choice, February 2002

About the Author

Paul J. Voss is assistant professor of English at Georgia State University. Dr. Voss has published a number of scholarly articles in journals such as Literature and Theology, Sixteenth Century Journal and Cithara.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Duquesne Univ Pr (October 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0820703214
• ISBN-13: 978-0820703213
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,360,827 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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