Premodern Places

This book recovers places appearing in the mental mapping of medieval and Renaissance writers, from Chaucer to Aphra Behn.

• A highly original work, which recovers the places that figure powerfully in premodern imagining.

• Recreates places that appear in the works of Langland, Chaucer, Dante, Petrarch, Spenser, Shakespeare, Aphra Behn, and many others.

• Begins with Calais – peopled by the English from 1347 to 1558 and ends with Surinam – traded for Manhattan by the English in 1667.

• Other particular locations discussed include Flanders, Somerset, Genoa, and the Fortunate Islands (Canary Islands).

• Includes fascinating anecdotes, such as the story of an English merchant learning love songs in Calais.

• Provides insights into major historical narratives, such as race and slavery in Renaissance Europe.

• Crosses the traditional divide between the medieval and Renaissance periods.