David Wallace is the Judith Rodin Professor of English Literature at the University of Pennsylvania. His books include Chaucerian Polity: Absolutist Lineages and Associational Forms in England and Italy (1997); Giovanni Boccaccio, Decameron (1991); Chaucer and the early writings of Boccaccio (1985); Bodies and Disciplines: Intersections of Literature and History in Fifteenth-Century England (ed. with Barbara A Hanawalt).

'Unlike many previous literary histories, this will be read … David Wallace's history is the work of many gifted contributors, a consummate editor, and a publishing house investing its resources as only a great press can.' James Simpson

• General introduction David Wallace; Part I. After the Norman Conquest: Introduction David Wallace; 1. Old English and its afterlife Seth Lerer; 2. Anglo-Norman cultures in England,1066–1460 Susan Crane; 3. Early Middle English Thomas Hahn; 4. National, world, and women's history writers and readers in post-Conquest England Lesley Johnson and Jocelyn Wogan-Browne; 5. Latinitas Christopher Baswell; 6. Romance in England 1066–1400 Rosalind Field; Part II. Writing in the British Isles: Introduction David Wallace; 7. Writing in Wales Brynley F. Roberts; 8. Writing in Ireland Terence Dolan; 9. Writing in Scotland R. James Goldstein; 10. Writing history in England Andrew Galloway; 11. London texts and literate practice Sheila Lindenbaum; Part III. Institutional Productions: Introduction David Wallace; 12. Monastic productions Christopher Cannon; 13. The friars and medieval English literature John V. Fleming; 14. Classroom and confession Marjorie Curry Woods and Rita Copeland; 15. Literature and the law Richard Firth Green; 16. 'Vox Populi' and the literature of 1381 David Aers; 17. Englishing the Bible 1066–1549 David Lawton; Part IV. After the Black Death: Introduction David Wallace; 18. Alliterative poetry Ralph Hanna; 19. Piers Plowman Kathryn Kerby-Fulton; 20. The Middle English mystics Nicholas Watson; 21. Geoffrey Chaucer Glending Olson; 22. John Gower Winthrop Wetherbee; 23. Middle English lives Julia Boffey; Part V. Before the Reformation: Introduction David Wallace; 24. Hoccleve, Lydgate, and the Lancastrian Court Paul Strohm; 25. Lollardy Steven Justice; 26. Romance after 1400 Helen Cooper; 27. William Caxton Seth Lerer; 28. English drama from Ungodly Ludi to Sacred Play Lawrence M. Clopper; 29. The allegorical theatre: moralities, interludes, and Protestant drama John Watkins; 30. Literature and politics in the reigns of Henry VII and Henry VIII Colin Burrow; 31. Reformed literature and literature reformed Brian Cummings; Chronologies; Bibliography; Index.

David Wallace is the Judith Rodin Professor of English Literature at the University of Pennsylvania. His books include Chaucerian Polity: Absolutist Lineages and Associational Forms in England and Italy (1997); Giovanni Boccaccio, Decameron (1991); Chaucer and the early writings of Boccaccio (1985); Bodies and Disciplines: Intersections of Literature and History in Fifteenth-Century England (ed. with Barbara A Hanawalt).

'Unlike many previous literary histories, this will be read … David Wallace's history is the work of many gifted contributors, a consummate editor, and a publishing house investing its resources as only a great press can.' James Simpson

• General introduction David Wallace; Part I. After the Norman Conquest: Introduction David Wallace; 1. Old English and its afterlife Seth Lerer; 2. Anglo-Norman cultures in England,1066–1460 Susan Crane; 3. Early Middle English Thomas Hahn; 4. National, world, and women's history writers and readers in post-Conquest England Lesley Johnson and Jocelyn Wogan-Browne; 5. Latinitas Christopher Baswell; 6. Romance in England 1066–1400 Rosalind Field; Part II. Writing in the British Isles: Introduction David Wallace; 7. Writing in Wales Brynley F. Roberts; 8. Writing in Ireland Terence Dolan; 9. Writing in Scotland R. James Goldstein; 10. Writing history in England Andrew Galloway; 11. London texts and literate practice Sheila Lindenbaum; Part III. Institutional Productions: Introduction David Wallace; 12. Monastic productions Christopher Cannon; 13. The friars and medieval English literature John V. Fleming; 14. Classroom and confession Marjorie Curry Woods and Rita Copeland; 15. Literature and the law Richard Firth Green; 16. 'Vox Populi' and the literature of 1381 David Aers; 17. Englishing the Bible 1066–1549 David Lawton; Part IV. After the Black Death: Introduction David Wallace; 18. Alliterative poetry Ralph Hanna; 19. Piers Plowman Kathryn Kerby-Fulton; 20. The Middle English mystics Nicholas Watson; 21. Geoffrey Chaucer Glending Olson; 22. John Gower Winthrop Wetherbee; 23. Middle English lives Julia Boffey; Part V. Before the Reformation: Introduction David Wallace; 24. Hoccleve, Lydgate, and the Lancastrian Court Paul Strohm; 25. Lollardy Steven Justice; 26. Romance after 1400 Helen Cooper; 27. William Caxton Seth Lerer; 28. English drama from Ungodly Ludi to Sacred Play Lawrence M. Clopper; 29. The allegorical theatre: moralities, interludes, and Protestant drama John Watkins; 30. Literature and politics in the reigns of Henry VII and Henry VIII Colin Burrow; 31. Reformed literature and literature reformed Brian Cummings; Chronologies; Bibliography; Index.

David Wallace is the Judith Rodin Professor of English Literature at the University of Pennsylvania. His books include Chaucerian Polity: Absolutist Lineages and Associational Forms in England and Italy (1997); Giovanni Boccaccio, Decameron (1991); Chaucer and the early writings of Boccaccio (1985); Bodies and Disciplines: Intersections of Literature and History in Fifteenth-Century England (ed. with Barbara A Hanawalt).

'Unlike many previous literary histories, this will be read … David Wallace's history is the work of many gifted contributors, a consummate editor, and a publishing house investing its resources as only a great press can.' James Simpson

• General introduction David Wallace; Part I. After the Norman Conquest: Introduction David Wallace; 1. Old English and its afterlife Seth Lerer; 2. Anglo-Norman cultures in England,1066–1460 Susan Crane; 3. Early Middle English Thomas Hahn; 4. National, world, and women's history writers and readers in post-Conquest England Lesley Johnson and Jocelyn Wogan-Browne; 5. Latinitas Christopher Baswell; 6. Romance in England 1066–1400 Rosalind Field; Part II. Writing in the British Isles: Introduction David Wallace; 7. Writing in Wales Brynley F. Roberts; 8. Writing in Ireland Terence Dolan; 9. Writing in Scotland R. James Goldstein; 10. Writing history in England Andrew Galloway; 11. London texts and literate practice Sheila Lindenbaum; Part III. Institutional Productions: Introduction David Wallace; 12. Monastic productions Christopher Cannon; 13. The friars and medieval English literature John V. Fleming; 14. Classroom and confession Marjorie Curry Woods and Rita Copeland; 15. Literature and the law Richard Firth Green; 16. 'Vox Populi' and the literature of 1381 David Aers; 17. Englishing the Bible 1066–1549 David Lawton; Part IV. After the Black Death: Introduction David Wallace; 18. Alliterative poetry Ralph Hanna; 19. Piers Plowman Kathryn Kerby-Fulton; 20. The Middle English mystics Nicholas Watson; 21. Geoffrey Chaucer Glending Olson; 22. John Gower Winthrop Wetherbee; 23. Middle English lives Julia Boffey; Part V. Before the Reformation: Introduction David Wallace; 24. Hoccleve, Lydgate, and the Lancastrian Court Paul Strohm; 25. Lollardy Steven Justice; 26. Romance after 1400 Helen Cooper; 27. William Caxton Seth Lerer; 28. English drama from Ungodly Ludi to Sacred Play Lawrence M. Clopper; 29. The allegorical theatre: moralities, interludes, and Protestant drama John Watkins; 30. Literature and politics in the reigns of Henry VII and Henry VIII Colin Burrow; 31. Reformed literature and literature reformed Brian Cummings; Chronologies; Bibliography; Index.