In 1667 - 355 years ago this month - a young London publisher called Samuel Simmons printed a very important book - John Milton's Paradise Lost. Milton had come to the fore in radical politics and, for a time, was considered an enemy of the state. Paradise Lost was published as his dream of a Godly republic became a reality and then crumbled, and as he himself turned blind and experienced the death of his wife and son.
In this edition of Not Just the Tudors, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb talks to Professor Thomas Corns about the fascinating history of the writing and publishing of one of the greatest epic poems in the English language.
Keep up to date with everything early modern, from Henry VIII to the Sistine Chapel with our Tudor Tuesday newsletter >
If you would like to learn more about history, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad-free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit >
To download, go to Android > or Apple store >
","author_name":"History Hit"}