All Things Shakespeare An Encyclopedia of Shakespeare's World [Two Volumes]

Subjects:

• Literature » Literature (General)
• History » European History -- Early Modern/Renaissance
• The Arts » Theater

Books of Related Interest:

• All Things Austen [Two Volumes]

Awards:

• Core Collection: YA Reference Sources Booklist 2005
• Library Journal Best Reference Source, 2002

Reviews:

• [T]his detailed and informative encyclopedia describes Shakespeare's physical environment, including common objects, daily activities, and popular beliefs and attitudes....Recommended for all libraries.
  —Library Journal December 2002
• All Things Shakespeare offers excellent background material for students trying to place Shakespeare's works in historical context. Recommended. General readers and undergraduates.
  —Choice April 2003
• Described as a concise encyclopedia,All Things Shakespeare is actually a detailed and fascinating reference book. Designed as a useful guide to the world that Shakespeare lived in and recreated in his work, the book is accessible, informative (without being dry) and often surprising too. Its contents range all the way from 'Alchemy' to 'Writing' via a great many entries on well-trodden topics and some more obscure subjects. Everyday life is described through entries on clothing, markets, household objects, business and marriage but more unusual or difficult concepts are also explained. The reader will find entries on the nine Worthies and the Five Wits, religion, suicide and astrology. Infinitely useful for students, teachers, and the interested general reader alike, there is also a bibliography and topic guide with suggestions for further reading.
  —The Shakespeare Bookshop Newsletter December 2007
• An ideal reference for those looking for information on the physical world of Shakespeare's time.
  —School Library Journal Focus on Shakespeare February 2004
• Starred Review Easy to use and unique in its coverage, the book will be desired by Shakespeare fans and English teachers alike. Every library should have a copy. Highly Recommended.
  —Library Media Connection August/September 2003
• Useful to students and teachers alike, the set will be valuable to directors, actors, historians, and avid readers of Shakespeare who wish to learn more about the intimate details of the world in which he lived.
  —VOYA August 2003
• Starred Review ...Most teens will find Olsen's rendering to be an irresistible peek into a world every bit as strange as that described in many a space fantasy. Even those who profess little familiarity with the great works of Shakespeare of the intricacies of English history will find these volumes fascinating.
  —School Library Journal June 2003
• Olsen has done the reference world a service by compiling a crackerjack guide to the Elizabethan milieu.... Students, teachers, librarians, actors, and readers will have little difficulty navigating the text to explain tidbits from Shakespeare's writings. Recommended for high-school, public, and undergraduate libraries.
  —Booklist/Reference Books Bulletin April 1, 2003

Table of Contents:

• Introduction
• Alphabetical List of Entries
• Abbreviations of the Plays
• The Encyclopedia
• Bibliography and Topic Guides
• Appendix: Chronology of Historical Events Referenced in Shakespeare's Plays
• Index