A Short History of Early Modern England presents the historical and cultural information necessary for a richer understanding of English Renaissance literature.

• Written in a clear and accessible style for an undergraduate level audience
• Gives an overview of the period’s history as well as an understanding of the historiographic issues
• Explores key historical and literary events, from the Wars of the Roses to the publication of John Milton’s Paradise Regained
• Features in depth explanations of key terms and concepts, such as absolutism and the Elizabethan Settlement

PETER C. HERMAN is Professor of English and Comparative Literature, San Diego State University, USA. His previous books include Royal Poetrie: Monarchic Verse and the Political Imaginary of Early Modern England (2010) and Destabilizing Milton: "Paradise Lost" and the Poetics of Incertitude (2008). His essays have appeared in Renaissance Quarterly, SEL, and Criticism.