Elizabethan World Ah Pa

The publishers of Horizon are well known for their large format pictoral essays on history and art. Lacey Baldwin Smith's book is a very good example of their work. It is broad in its approach and includes descriptions of the world both inside and outside of Elizabeth I's England. Although few of the plates are in color, the black and white images are large and clear. The etchings and woodcuts lose little for being monochromatic. The author makes good use of first hand accounts and narratives, and supports them with background commentary. These accounts are annotated with the name of the author and work. This is not a scholarly work, but as "coffee table" reading it is quite good. I would recommend it to anyone who would like a good general reading of the Elizabethan era.