Daily Life in Elizabethan England (The Greenwood Press Daily Life Through History Series) (Hardcover)

by Jeffrey L. Singman (Author) "The Middle Ages are customarily taken to have ended when Richard III was defeated by Henry Tudor in the Battle of Bosworth in 1485..." (more)
Key Phrases: fore pieces, lacing holes, sleeveless bodice, Elizabethan England, Middle Ages, Catholic Church (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
“... an incredible amount of detail about daily life..., such as popular songs and patterns for clothing...Black-and-white diagrams and pictures are clear and informative...Singman's books will be welcome additions for anyone looking for in-depth material on English life of the past.”–School Library Journal

“Looking for a way to spice up your Shakespeare? Longing for new information on the Middle Ages? Then Greenwood'sDaily Life in Elizabethan Englandby Jeffrey L. Singman is for you!...Daily Life in Elizabethan England is a must for every school library, and a must for any teacher who seriously teaches Shakespeare!”–Utah Council of Teachers of English/Language Arts

“...Daily Life, the latest addition to the Greenwood Press Daily Life Through History series, accurately shows how the vast majority of people lived, ate, dwelled, what they did for a living, what they believed in, and how they spent their leisure time. This fine work does not neglect the upper classes; rather it relegates them to their appropriate place in a overall view of Elizabethan society.”–Renaissance Magazine

“...provides a useful overview of day-to-day life in a particular period of the past in a similar sequence of chapters. Following a brief history of the era, an overview chapter discusses the social structure, governmental organization, religious establishment, and economy of the period. Subsequent chapters outline the cycle of life, from birth to death, and the cycles of time, moving through the day, week, and year as experienced by the people of that era. A final series of chapters discuss food, clothing, and entertainment. The strength of these books is their detailed portrayal of the life of earlier times and the opportunities provided to recreate parts of that life. The text is rich in many details. Recommended for all types of libraries.”–Booklist/Reference Books Bulletin

“This book is a wonderful source for students and teachers studying the Elizabethan Age. Readers can `live' within the age as they encounter recipes, clothing patterns, songs and games. Students will enjoy browsing through the pages and learning how much money a knight would have made, how some of the homes were constructed, and what type of shoe a lady might have worn. A typical day is explained in detail, as is each month of the year. Consideration is given to all social classes, not just the aristocracy. This could serve as the core of an excellent cross-curricular unit for staff and students to produce together...Highly recommended.”–The Book Report

“Highly appealing with its up close and personal look at daily life in sixteenth century England, this outstanding work covers the culture and customs of country and city folk in an enjoyable, readable fashion...this work of high quality, scholarly research will be an invaluable resource both in the classroom and in the library. The clear, focused, readily-accessible format is a delight to read and will find a broad audience...Highly recommended.”–VOYA

“[These] important study guides are recommended for college-level and high school pursuit: they are packed with information and detail and will prove important supplemental reading for history courses.”–The Bookwatch

“Based as it is on both standard secondary sources...and the primary sources from which its dress patterns and recipes come, the book is a valuable introduction to the everyday life of the period. Furthermore, its participation in the living history movement, like that movement itself, allows for a more imaginative entrance into the Elizabethan world than one might experience through the reading of a standard, more conventional social history...a valuable addition to scholarship. tells an old story”–Shakespeare Bulletin

“...provides an outline of the cultural, economic, and political background of the period including a calendar of annual events and activities...Anyone portrayina a person from England from the late sixteenth to mid-seventeenth centuries should read this book...This book provides all the basic information needed to get started on a period persona of the Elizabethan Age and can be an aid for thoses who are representing the next several generations.”–The Moderne Aviso

Product Description
Students, teachers, and interested readers will find in this resource a vivid and intimate account of life in the Elizabethan age. The first book on Elizabethan England to arise out of the "living history" movement, it combines a unique hands-on approach with the best of current research. Organized for easy reference, it is enlivened with how-to sections--recipes, clothing patterns, songs and games, all gathered from original sources. This hands-on approach recreates the daily life of ordinary people, not just the aristocracy, and systematically covers the most basic facts of life in a readily accessible format. Clearly illustrated with 94 drawings, patterns, and diagrams, it provides a treasure trove of information for classroom and library use and for those interested in recreating Elizabethan life.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 227 pages
• Publisher: Greenwood Press; 1st edition (August 30, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 031329335X
• ISBN-13: 978-0313293351
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #440,579 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing, April 27, 2007

By	KMP (Pittsburgh, PA) - See all my reviews

I found this book less than impressive and what bothers me the most is the price. I bought it new, paid over $50.00 for it and frankly I thought I would be getting a lot more. A lot more information, a lot more detail, a lot more of basically everything. (Even the binding on this book is disappointing!) It might work well for a junior high school report but that is because it is rather like a junior high school report. The author paints his picture of the time in VERY broad strokes and really doesn't bother with details. It might be fine as your first reference book on the Elizabethans, but it won't due if you have more than a passing knowledge going in. At $12.95 this book would have been okay. The high price, however, raises expectations and leaves one with the impression that it is going to be a far more informative book. There are better books out there on this topic and they cost far less. Don't buy it at the full price. Don't but it if you are looking for real scholarship.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Top-Notch Reference Book, August 4, 2002

By	"alisaundrem" (Artemisia, Knowne World) - See all my reviews

I have been playing in a Medieval Society (SCA) for almost 13 years and thought I knew most of what I would read in this book but I was astounded by the wonderful depth of information. If you are a recreationist, this book is for you!!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars good reference book to keep, July 26, 2004

By	Cathryn Craig (California) - See all my reviews

This book is an organized collection of information you've probably searched for. Great book for anyone working in the Renaissance faire circuit or for anyone wanting to go to a faire. I especially love all the games with rules and directions on how to make what was needed. It also has interesting recipes and songs in it. Some of the topics could have gone into more depth but in all very well done.