One can never be right in saying that any book is the last word on its chosen topic, but this impressive tome must certainly be the last word on English Renaissance literature and culture, at least for some considerable time to come. Michael Hattaway, Professor of English Literature at the University of Sheffield, enlisted the help of 50 specialists in producing what can only be described as a splendid compendium. In his introduction he writes “the volume ranges from roughly the period of Sir Thomas More (1478‐1535) until that of John Milton (1608‐1674)”, though he disclaims any attempt to be comprehensive. But when one contemplates the giants of literature who were active in that period ‐ Spenser, Marlowe, Shakespeare, Jonson, Bacon and Donne, plus the many lesser lights such as Udall, Wyatt, Lyly, Kyd, Greene, Beaumont and Fletcher, John Webster and the Caroline lyrists ‐ the field is dauntingly extensive.
Yet somehow Hattaway has contrived to present the period in a unified fashion. His editorial directions must have been precise and exact, and he has been fortunate in that his contributors have listened to him. In other words, they have stuck to their lasts and not overstepped their marks. After the editor’s introduction which forms the first part, there follow four other parts, these being Contexts and Perspectives, c. 1500‐1650; Readings; Genres and Modes; and finally, Issues and Debates. Every user of this volume, whether student or general reader, will have recourse to his or her own favourite section.
The second part, that headed Contents and Perspectives, comprises 11 essays, their topics ranging from Humanism and Literacy, to Playhouses and the Literature of Travel. For this reviewer, parts three and four were the most interesting sections of the book. Under Readings, we find 13 chapters devoted to works by Wyatt, Spenser, Kyd, Donne, Bacon and other writers, and the criticism therein is detailed and of consistently high quality. The part devoted to Genres and Modes has 28 chapters covering such literary types as allegories, epics, love and erotic poetry, religious poems, Jacobean tragedy and many other topics. It would seem that every possible genre has been tackled. I have purposely avoided mentioning any of the contributors by name, since it would be invidious to do so. Suffice it to say that they are all academics specialising in their subjects, and that they work mainly in British universities, though some are teaching in the USA and Canada, as well as in Denmark, Italy and other European countries.
A feature of this Companion is that it includes 19 illustrations in black and white, grouped together between pages 366 and 367. All the chapters are equipped with copious notes and references, and the index at the end of the volume is so detailed that it comprises 40 pages in double‐column text. Make no mistake about it: this is a welcome, much‐needed, and reliable guide to English Renaissance literature and culture. At £80 it is not by any means cheap, but the quality of its contents means that it should pay for its keep on library shelves for years to come.
