Description

The first edition of Lord Ifor Evans1 A Short History of English Literature was hailed by the Observer: 3Professor Evans writes to the classical model, brief and lucid. He relates the arts to society instead of penning them in the study. As a judge, he is tolerant and undogmatic, but never slack in his standards. He is fair to all and gushes over none…This justice of approach is coupled with a mastery of phrase, which makes the writing lively without being exhibitionistic. Since its first appearance in 1940, A Short History of English Literature has served countless readers as a perceptive, reliable, and readable guide. This fourth edition < revised and extended to include major poets, dramatists, and novelists of the present day < provides an invaluable map to the vast field of English literature.