"Alfred Thomas combines an acute sense of the political, probing for tales of tyranny and resistance, with an ability to place literary works in their deep historical context. The lay reader will be intrigued by the parallels he draws between the Elizabethan era and the present." (Peter Rutland, Professor of Government, Wesleyan University, USA) "In Shakespeare, Catholicism, and the Middle Ages, Alfred Thomas has written an original, learned, refreshing book on a famous and familiar subject that challenges many of the common critical assumptions about the sources and historical contexts of several of Shakespeare's greatest plays. With subtlety and brilliance, Thomas not only demonstrates that medieval tradition and culture were well-known and respected by Shakespeare, but that they would also have influenced the distinctive responses of Catholic and Protestant audiences in the late years of the reign of Elizabeth I. Thomas presents his case with an impressive array of evidence in this fascinating study." (Robert Kiely, Professor of English, Emeritus, Harvard University, USA).