A Cultural History of Leisure

A comprehensive, thematic reference work covering the cultural history of leisure from antiquity through to the 21st century.

A Cultural History of Leisure presents historians, and scholars and students of related fields, with the first comprehensive and interdisciplinary overview of the cultural history of leisure from ancient times to modernity. With six highly illustrated volumes covering 2,500 years, this is the definitive reference work on the subject, comprising:

Volume 1: A Cultural History of Leisure in Antiquity (500BC-500AD)
Volume 2: A Cultural History of Leisure in the Medieval Age (500-1450)
Volume 3: A Cultural History of Leisure in the Renaissance (1450-1650)
Volume 4: A Cultural History of Leisure in the Age of Enlightenment (1650-1800)
Volume 5: A Cultural History of Leisure in the Age of Empire (1800-1920)
Volume 6: A Cultural History of Leisure in the Modern Age (1920-2000+)

Each volume adopts the same thematic structure, covering: the idea of leisure; the performing arts and their audiences; the cerebral arts and their publics; sports and games; holydays, holidays and tourism; the world of conviviality; the world of goods; the world of nature and representations of leisure, enabling readers to trace one theme throughout history, as well as gaining a thorough overview of each individual period.

The complete 6-volume set comprises c.1,632 pages, 240 illustrations.

Special introductory offer (valid up to 3 months after publication): £395 / $550 (full price: £440 / $610)

The Cultural Histories Series
A Cultural History of Leisure is part of the Cultural Histories Series. Titles are available both as printed hardcover sets for libraries needing just one subject or preferring a one-off purchase and tangible reference for their shelves, or as part of a fully searchable digital library available to institutions by annual subscription or on perpetual access (see bloomsburyculturalhistory.com).