Foxe's Book of Martyrs, 1583 : Actes and Monuments of Matters Most Speciall and Memorable - Academic Network Licence (Facsimile ed)

Foxe's "Actes and Monuments" was a foundation stone of English protestant nationalism.

Over 25 years, and in more than 2,500,000 words, Foxe put together his history of the church (mainly but not exclusively the church in England), in order to demonstrate that protestantism was the true faith.

His message shaped English religious and political consciousness for centuries to come, with enormous consequences.

The book was second only to the vernacular Bible as a formative influence on English language and culture.

However, access to satisfactory versions of this crucial work has been almost impossible; the great 19th-century editions are textual jumbles.

The 1583 edition was the last for which Foxe was personally responsible, but only about 40 original copies survive and none is perfect; microfilm copies have reflected or even aggravated these omissions and imperfections.

Assembled from two originals, this facsimile on CD-ROM provides the only complete version available.

The title is a combination of the 2,200 pages of text and woodcuts from the complete edition, as well as a searchable transcription of Foxe's own index for each of the pages. This enables easy searching of the edition as well as providing a complete table of contents.