Popular Culture in Early Modern Europe

Book excerpt: The concept of cultural history has in the last few decades come to the fore of historical research into early modern Europe. Due in no small part to the pioneering work of Peter Burke, the tools of the cultural historian are now routinely brought to bear on every aspect of history, and have transformed our understanding of the past. First published in 1978 and now in its third edition, this study examines the broad sweep of pre-industrial Europe's popular culture. This new edition features a new introduction reflecting the growth of cultural history and an extensive supplementary bibliography which further adds to the information about new research in the area.