In all six of its volumes The Broadview Anthology of British Literature presents British literature in a truly distinctive light. Fully grounded in sound literary and historical scholarship, the anthology takes a fresh approach to many canonical authors, and includes a wide selection of work by lesser-known writers. The anthology also provides wide-ranging coverage of the worldwide connections of British literature, and it pays attention throughout to issues of race, gender, class, and sexual orientation. It includes comprehensive introductions to each period, providing in each case an overview of the historical and cultural as well as the literary background. It features accessible and engaging headnotes for all authors, extensive explanatory annotations, and an unparalleled number of illustrations and contextual materials. Innovative, authoritative and comprehensive, The Broadview Anthology of British Literature has established itself as a leader in the field.

The full anthology comprises six bound volumes, together with an extensive website component; the latter has been edited, annotated, and designed according to the same high standards as the bound book component of the anthology, and is accessible by using the passcode obtained with the purchase of one or more of the bound volumes.

The two-volume Broadview Anthology of British Literature, Concise Edition provides an attractive alternative to the full six-volume anthology. Though much more compact, the concise edition nevertheless provides instructors with substantial choice, offering both a strong selection of canonical authors and a sampling of lesser-known works. With an unparalleled number of illustrations and contextual materials, accessible and engaging introductions, and full explanatory annotations, the concise edition of this acclaimed Broadview anthology provides focused yet wide-ranging coverage for British literature survey courses.

Among the works now included for the first time in the concise edition are Chaucer's The Prioress's Tale; the York Crucifixion play; more poems from Sidney's Astrophil and Stella; an expanded section of writings by Elizabeth I, more poems by Lady Mary Wroth, and an expanded selection of work by Margaret Cavendish. The literatures of Ireland, Gaelic Scotland, and Wales are now much better represented, and a selection of work by Laboring Class Poets is now included. There are also new contextual materials-including a substantial section on "Transatlantic Currents."

In the case of several authors and texts (among them The Four Branches of the Mabinogi, Julian of Norwich, Sir Thomas Malory, and Phillis Wheatley), the new edition will incorporate substantial improvements that have been made in the new editions of the period volumes published in recent years.

As before, the Concise edition includes a substantial website component, providing instructors with a great degree of flexibility. For the first time, a selection of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales will be available online in facing-column format (with versions in modern English included opposite the original text).

About the Author

Our Editorial Team:

Joseph Black, University of Massachusetts
Leonard Conolly, Trent University
Kate Flint, University of Southern California
Isobel Grundy, University of Alberta
Roy Liuzza, University of Tennessee
Jerome McGann, University of Virginia
Anne Prescott, Barnard College
Barry Qualls, Rutgers University
Claire Waters, University of California Davis

Reviews

Praise for the Broadview Anthology of British Literature, Concise

"I am pleased to say that my students and I really enjoyed using The Broadview Anthology of British Literature, Concise Edition this past fall and spring semesters in my survey of British literature. ... The final average of my spring survey class was one of the highest in my teaching career, and I am sure that the Broadview anthology was one of the many reasons for this excellent performance. My students were also excited about the Broadview editions of Frankenstein and Tess of the D'Urbervilles that we used." - Richard Branyon, Eastern Connecticut University

Comments on The Broadview Anthology of British Literature:

"After twenty years of teaching British literature from the Norton anthologies, I'm ready to switch to the Broadview. The introductions to each period are key to teaching a survey course, and those in the Broadview seem to me to be both more accessible to students and more detailed in their portraits of each era than are those of the Norton. And Broadview's selection of authors and texts includes everything I like to teach from the Norton, plus a good deal else that's of real interest." - Neil R. Davison, Oregon State University

" ... sets a new standard by which all other anthologies of British literature will now have to be measured." - Graham Hammill, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York

"With the publication of the Broadview Anthology of British Literature, teachers and students in survey and upper-level undergraduate courses have a compelling alternative to the established anthologies by Norton and Longman. ... This is a very real intellectual, as well as pedagogical, achievement." - Nicholas Watson, Harvard University

" ... an excellent anthology. Good selections for my purposes (including some nice surprises), just the right level of annotation, affordable-and a hit with my students. I will definitely use it again." - Ira Nadel, University of British Columbia

"... I have been using The Broadview Anthology of British Literature for three years now. I love it-and so do my students!" - Martha Stoddard-Holmes, University of California, San Marcos

"Norton's intros are good; Broadview's are better, with greater clarity and comprehension, as well as emphasis upon how the language and literature develop, both reacting or responding to and influencing or modifying the cultural, religious/philosophical, political, and socio-economic developments of Britain. The historian and the linguist in me thoroughly enjoyed the flow and word-craftsmanship. If you have not considered the anthology for your courses, I recommend that you do so." - Robert J. Schmidt, Tarrant County College

Book Information
ISBN 9781554813124
Author Joseph Black
Format Paperback
Page Count 1888
Imprint Broadview Press Ltd
Publisher Broadview Press Ltd
Weight(grams) 1703g
Dimensions(mm) 235mm * 197mm * 39mm