This book provides a comprehensive account of the culture of modern Italy. Specially-commissioned essays by leading specialists focus on a wide range of political, historical and cultural questions. The volume provides information and analysis on such topics as regionalism, language, social and political cultures, the Church, feminism, organized crime, literature, art, the mass media, and music. Each essay contains suggestions for further reading on the topics covered. The Cambridge Companion to Modern Italian Culture is an invaluable source of materials for courses on all aspects of modern...

This book offers a comprehensive account of modern Spanish culture from its beginnings in the Revolution of 1868 to the present day. Specially-commissioned essays by leading experts analyze the historical and political background of modern Spain, the culture of major regions including Castile, Catalonia, and the Basque Country, and the country's literature. There are studies of painting, sculpture, architecture, cinema, dance, music, and the modern media. A chronology and guides to further reading assist in making the volume an invaluable introduction to the politics, literature and culture...

This is the first comprehensive account of English Renaissance literature in the context of the culture that shaped it: the courts of Henry VIII and Elizabeth I, the tumult of Catholic and Protestant alliances during the Reformation, the age of printing and of New World discovery. The Companion covers developments in poetry, prose, religious writing, drama, satire and humanism in fourteen newly-commissioned essays, written by experts for student readers. A detailed chronology of major literary achievements concludes with a list of authors and their dates.

The Cambridge Companion to Modern American Culture offers a comprehensive, authoritative and accessible overview of the cultural themes and intellectual issues that drive the dominant culture of the twentieth century. This companion explores the social, political and economic forces that have made America what it is today. It shows how these contexts impact upon twentieth-century American literature, cinema and art. An international team of contributors examines the special contribution of African Americans and of immigrant communities to the variety and vibrancy of modern America. The essays...

Specially-commissioned essays analyze Latin American history, politics, art and literature from the nineteenth century to the present and reveal the common heritage of pre-Columbian and colonial Latin America. Although the Portuguese and Spanish-speaking states created in the early 1820s differed greatly geographically and demographically (in ethnic composition and economic resources), they also shared distinct historical and cultural traits. A chronology and guide to further reading make this volume an invaluable introduction to the rich and varied culture of modern Latin America.

The Cambridge Companion to Milton provides an accessible, helpful guide for any student of Milton, whether undergraduate or graduate, introducing readers to the scope of Milton's work, the richness of its historical relations, and the range of current approaches to it. This second edition contains new and revised essays, reflecting increasing emphasis on Milton's politics, the social conditions and climate in which his works were published and received, the importance of his early poems and Samson Agonistes, and the changes wrought by gender studies on the criticism of previous decades. The...

Specially commissioned essays by specialists focus on a wide range of political, historical and cultural questions in this Companion. The book provides information and analysis on such topics as French national identity, architecture, the mass media, food, literature, cinema, intellectual culture and music. It features supplementary material that includes a chronology, illustrations and suggestions for further reading.

This Companion provides an authoritative introduction to the historical, social and stylistic complexities of modern Irish culture. It introduces Irish culture in its broadest sense and guides the reader through the cultural and theoretical debates that inform our understanding of modern Ireland. The range of topics covered by the contributors demonstrates a comprehensive understanding of Irish culture and the development of modern Ireland.

This Companion provides an authoritative account of modern German culture since the onset of industrialization, the rise of mass society and the nation state. Newly written and researched by experts in their respective fields, individual chapters trace developments in German culture--including national identity, class and race issues and the arts--from the nineteenth century to the present. There is a chronology and guide to further reading. Overall, the Companion offers an invaluable guide to the political and social processes that shaped modern Germany.

British culture today is the product of a shifting combination of tradition and experimentation, national identity and regional and ethnic diversity. These distinctive tensions are expressed in a range of cultural arenas, such as art, sport, journalism, fashion, education, and race. This Companion addresses these and other major aspects of British culture, and offers a sophisticated understanding of what it means to study and think about the diverse cultural landscapes of contemporary Britain. Each contributor looks at the language through which culture is formed and expressed, the political...