Popular Culture in Early Modern Europe

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 Peter Burke’s pioneering work, the tools of the cultural historian are now routinely applied to every aspect of history, transforming our understanding of the past.

First published in 1978, this study examines the broad sweep of pre-industrial Europe's popular culture. From the world of the professional entertainer to the songs, stories, rituals and plays of...