Michael Johnston is an Assistant Professor of English at Purdue University (West Lafayette, Ind., USA). He specializes in the history of the book, particularly the manuscript culture of fifteenth-century England. His work on this topic has recently appeared in the Journal of English and Germanic Philology, Journal of the Early Book Society, Viator, and Yearbook of Langland Studies. He regularly offers courses on British literature and culture, primarily of the Middle Ages, as well as courses on the history of books.

The book is beautifully written, balancing a wealth of detailed information with a sense of broader themes... but what struck me was Johnstons ability to make a familiar text seem fresh and innovative, and this continued through the book.

• Introduction ; 1. "A watered-down version of nobility": The Growth of the Gentry in Late Medieval England ; 2. Gentry Romances: A Literary History ; 3. Gentry Romances: The Manuscript Evidence ; 4. Derbyshire Landowners Read Romance ; 5. Robert Thornton Reads Romance ; 6. The Irelands Read Romance ; Appendix: The Composition and Circulation of Gentry Romances

Michael Johnston is an Assistant Professor of English at Purdue University (West Lafayette, Ind., USA). He specializes in the history of the book, particularly the manuscript culture of fifteenth-century England. His work on this topic has recently appeared in the Journal of English and Germanic Philology, Journal of the Early Book Society, Viator, and Yearbook of Langland Studies. He regularly offers courses on British literature and culture, primarily of the Middle Ages, as well as courses on the history of books.

The book is beautifully written, balancing a wealth of detailed information with a sense of broader themes... but what struck me was Johnstons ability to make a familiar text seem fresh and innovative, and this continued through the book.

• Introduction ; 1. "A watered-down version of nobility": The Growth of the Gentry in Late Medieval England ; 2. Gentry Romances: A Literary History ; 3. Gentry Romances: The Manuscript Evidence ; 4. Derbyshire Landowners Read Romance ; 5. Robert Thornton Reads Romance ; 6. The Irelands Read Romance ; Appendix: The Composition and Circulation of Gentry Romances

Michael Johnston is an Assistant Professor of English at Purdue University (West Lafayette, Ind., USA). He specializes in the history of the book, particularly the manuscript culture of fifteenth-century England. His work on this topic has recently appeared in the Journal of English and Germanic Philology, Journal of the Early Book Society, Viator, and Yearbook of Langland Studies. He regularly offers courses on British literature and culture, primarily of the Middle Ages, as well as courses on the history of books.

The book is beautifully written, balancing a wealth of detailed information with a sense of broader themes... but what struck me was Johnstons ability to make a familiar text seem fresh and innovative, and this continued through the book.

• Introduction ; 1. "A watered-down version of nobility": The Growth of the Gentry in Late Medieval England ; 2. Gentry Romances: A Literary History ; 3. Gentry Romances: The Manuscript Evidence ; 4. Derbyshire Landowners Read Romance ; 5. Robert Thornton Reads Romance ; 6. The Irelands Read Romance ; Appendix: The Composition and Circulation of Gentry Romances