H J Chaytor – författare

Originally published during the early part of the twentieth century, the Cambridge Manuals of Science and Literature were designed to provide concise introductions to a broad range of topics. They were written by experts for the general reader and combined a comprehensive approach to knowledge with an emphasis on accessibility. H. J. Chaytor's volume The Troubadours was published in 1912. It introduces the reader to the concept of courtly love and to the role of the troubadour poets, tracing their influence across medieval Europe.

Originally published in 1939, this book presents a biographical study of Savari de Mauléon, described using the Occitan version of his name throughout the text. A portrait is provided of a 'continental baron who travelled between France and England, fought, intrigued, plundered, governed, and when occasion allowed, maintained a court at which poetry and song were encouraged and patronised'. A bibliography and illustrative figures are included. This book will be of value to anyone with an interest in European history and literature.

First published in 1924, this volume presents critical editions of three short Anglo-Norman texts. As the general editor, O. H. Prior notes in the Preface, 'the works selected are representative of three genres, a purely didactic poem on Geography, a legend of the Virgin, and a biblical subject'. Each selection is taken from among the numerous medieval manuscripts held in the colleges of the University of Cambridge, and the editions are given as exact copies of the manuscripts, with no corrections introduced and any alternative readings or emendations reserved for the notes. The book will continue to be of interest to scholars as a valuable source of minor Anglo-Norman works.

Originally published in 1945, this book presents a discussion of medieval literature, focusing to a large extent on French literature. The text emphasises the fundamental differences between the medieval period and modern times, most notably the changes engendered by the invention of print. As noted in the introduction, 'if a fair judgment is to be passed upon literary works belonging to the centuries before printing was invented, some effort must be made to realise the extent of the prejudices under which we have grown up, and to resist the involuntary demand that medieval literature must conform to our standards of taste or be regarded as of interest purely antiquarian'. This book will be of value to anyone with an interest in medieval literature and literary theory.

Dramatic Theory in Spain was first published in 1925 and its publication was intended to grant wide access to Spanish dramatic texts. Henry John Chaytor provides a thorough English-language introduction, outlining the historical and cultural contexts and the helpful notes and clear presentation ensure the book has continuing relevance for those with an interest in Spanish dramatic theory.

Originally published in 1923, this book contains the French text of seven short stories by seven influential French authors: Nodier, Balzac, Vigny, Gautier, Flaubert, Mérimée and Maupassant. The stories reflect the changing schools of fiction in vogue in France from the eighteenth to the nineteenth centuries, and each story is prefaced with a short biographical note on the author. This book will be of value to anyone with an interest in French literature.