Premodern Places

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

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• 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.