This is volume one of a two-volume set which brings together leading scholars to present current knowledge and thinking about European history between 1400 and 1600: in the late Middle Ages, Renaissance and Reformation. The work should be of value to students, specialists and non-specialists alike. 40 scholars in the field present the state of knowledge about the major themes, main controversies and fruitful directions for research of European history in this era. This volume describes the people, lands, religions and political structures which define the setting for this historical period.