Early Modern History 1500-1750

It is often assumed that a recognisably modern sporting culture did not emerge until the eighteenth century. The plethora of physical training and games that existed before 1700 tend to fall victim to rigid historical boundaries drawn between "modern" and "pre-modern" sports. Adopting a much broader..

Studies on the Jews of Venice, 1382 - 1797 is based extensively on previously unconsulted documents, these articles deal with central issues in the experience of the Jews of Venice, and so of Diaspora Jewish history in general: the Jewish quarter, maritime trade and urban moneylending, the Jewish di..

This volume focuses on early modern paintings, sculpture and other artworks in which subjects have been difficult to define, which constitute potentially or actually visual aporias. Using specific examples as case studies, contributors analyze borderline visual cases in which subjects are "smudged"..

An account of the history of the Spanish colony in the Philippines during the 16th century. Antonio de Morga was an official of the colonial bureaucracy in Manila and could consequently draw upon much material that would otherwise have been inaccessible. His book, published in 1609, ranges more wid..

Without a precise separation between ’science’ and ’magic’, the line between the natural and supernatural worlds in early modern England was negotiable and porous, and could be used both to bolster and challenge authority. This collection reveals intersecting early modern anxieties in relation to th..

In the 15th century, Ethiopian travelers to Renaissance Italy inaugurated an era of reciprocal discovery between Africa's ancient Christian empire and the Catholic societies of southern Europe. This study relates the dramatic story of this encounter, of fulfilled prophecies, imaginary kings, deaths ..

The Anatomical Renaissance..

Hans Willem Bentinck, 1st Earl of Portland (1649-1709) was the closest confidant of William III and arguably the most important politician in Williamite Britain. This book not only provides a biographical account of Portland's life, but also explores wider political themes within a European context...

This comprehensive, interdisciplinary research companion is an essential resource for scholars of early modern history and culture. For the first time a detailed consideration of the scope of early modern popular culture in England is collected in one volume, highlighting the interplay of 'low' and ..

The Ashgate Research Companion to the Counter-Reformation presents a comprehensive examination of recent scholarship on early modern Catholicism in its many guises. It examines how the Tridentine reforms inspired conflict and conversion, and evaluates lives and identities, spirituality, culture and ..

This collection of nine essays, with an introduction by Richard Griffiths, examines some of the broad themes relating to the way in which the reading, translation and interpretation of the Bible in the Renaissance could serve the specific and often practical aims of those involved. Moving from huma..

Between 1540 and 1654, The Byrth of Mankynde was a huge commercial success. Offering information on fertility, pregnancy, birth, and infant care, and written in a chatty, colloquial style, it influenced most other literary works of the period bearing on sex, reproduction, and childcare. Until now, t..