Routledge History of Literature in English

Ronald Carter is Research Professor of Modern English Language in the School of English Studies, University of Nottingham, UK and is well-known for his work at the interface of language and literary studies. He has written, co-written and edited over forty books, most recently a second edition of Language and Creativity (Routledge Classics) (2015).John McRae was formerly Special Professor of Language in Literature Studies and is now Teaching Associate at the University of Nottingham, UK. He has been a Visiting Professor and Lecturer in more than seventy countries. His publications include Literature with a Small ‘L’ (1991/1997), The Language of Poetry (Routledge, 1998) and the only critical edition of Teleny by Oscar Wilde and others (1986-2000).

"Brought fully up-to-date with a chapter on twenty-first developments, and featuring a number of useful and exciting extras such as an extensive companion website, this third edition of the widely acclaimed Routledge History of Literature in English fully confirms its reputation of solid yet accessible scholarship, and as the indispensable first-hand reference for any serious student of literature in English."Theo D’haen, University of Leuven, Belgium"Immensely accessible, comprehensive and reader-friendly, the 3rd edition of The Routledge History of Literature in English provides interested readers with a thorough exploration of British and Irish literature. With a new added chapter chronicling writings from the twenty-first century, this ideal volume is—to date—unique, unrivalled."Suriyan Panlay, Thammasat University, Thailand"The third edition of this extensive and clearly written volume will be welcome to readers keen to historicize the development of English from Caedmon’s Hymn to the writing of Kazuo Ishiguro. By assessing the reach of English both globally and within the shifting landscape of the British Isles, the authors address questions of dialect, regionalism and nationhood alongside those of genre, form, lexicon and aesthetics. The focus on social and political context in conversation with close readings of specific texts makes this a helpful introduction to the writing and reading of English today."Emma Mason, University of Warwick, UK

• THE BEGINNINGS OF ENGLISH: OLD AND MIDDLE ENGLISH 600-1485 THE RENAISSANCE: 1485-1660 RESTORATION TO ROMANTICISM: 1660-1789 THE ROMANTIC PERIOD: 1789 - 1832 THE NINETEENTH CENTURY: 1832-1900 THE TWENTIETH CENTURY: 1900-45 THE TWENTIETH CENTURY: 1945 TO 2000THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY