The Oxford Dictionary of the Renaissance

This book is described on the cover as “[T]he ultimate reference book on the period that shaped modern European history and culture”. Considering that this historical period stretches from 1415 to 1618 this would be no mean feat. What makes it even more of an achievement is that, with the exception of a few entries, it has been written by one author, Gordon Campbell professor of Renaissance Literature at Leicester University. In contrast, most similar types of reference work are the result of the efforts of numerous contributors, a factor that can lead to inconsistency and even entries that contradict...