The Palgrave Guide to English Literature and Its Contexts

This comprehensive guide to the historical and cultural context of English Literature covers the core periods of literature, and history, from the English Renaissance to the present. It introduces and outlines key terms, concepts and developments and provides a series of timelines showing political, social, cultural and literary events for each year. Together it offers a concise history of Britain for literature students and provides readers with the context for any literary work from 1500 to 2000.

Author Biography

PETER WIDDOWSON was one time Professor of English at the University of Gloucestershire. He was a well-known critic whose publications for students include A Readers’ Guide to Contemporary Literary Theory (with Peter Brooker, Longman, 1997), Literature (Routledge, 1999) and Graham Swift (Northcote House, 2004).