Description
Book SynopsisThese volumes provide an overview of British literature in its social and historical context from the Anglo-Saxon period through to the twenty-first century. They trace literary developments and touch on key developments in the history of the language of print culture. Additionally, they provide essential background for those unfamiliar with the unfolding of British political, social, economic, and cultural history during each of the six periods into which the study of British literature is commonly divided. The material for British Literature: A Historical Overview has been drawn from the general introductions to the six volumes of the acclaimed Broadview Anthology of British Literature.
Trade ReviewComments on British Literature: A Historical Overview:
“It is very hard to condense a period’s historical, cultural, political, and literary background in such a way as to engage and inform students and instructors alike. Broadview not only rises to that challenge; it succeeds magnificently. … These introductions are compelling and readable, informative and smart. One could not ask for a better overview of the major periods of British history!” — Amy Montz, University of Southern Indiana
Comments on The Broadview Anthology of British Literature:
“ … sets a new standard by which all other anthologies of British Literature will now have to be measured.” — Graham Hammill, SUNY Buffalo
“With the publication of the Broadview Anthology of British Literature, teachers and students in survey and upper-level undergraduate courses have a compelling alternative to the established anthologies by Norton and Longman. … This is a very real intellectual, as well as pedagogical, achievement.” — Nicholas Watson, Harvard University
“ … an excellent anthology. Good selections for my purposes (including some nice surprises), just the right level of annotation, affordable—and a hit with my students. I will definitely use it again.” — Ira Nadel, University of British Columbia
Table of ContentsPREFACE
INTRODUCTION TO THE MEDIEVAL PERIOD
- History, Narrative, Culture
England before the Norman Conquest
- Roman and Celtic Britain
Migration and Conversion
Invasion and Unification
- England after the Norman Conquest
- The Normans and Feudalism
Henry II and an International Culture
The Thirteenth Century
The English Monarchy
Cultural Expression in the Fourteenth Century
Fifteenth-Century Transitions
Language and Prosody
INTRODUCTION TO THE RENAISSANCE AND THE EARLY SEVENTEENTH CENTURY
- Humanism
Scientific Inquiry
The Reformation in England
Wales, Scotland, Ireland
Edward VI, Mary I, and Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I and Gender
Homoeroticism and Transgendering
Economy and Society in the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries
“The Round Earth’s Imagined Corners”
The Stuarts and the Civil Wars
Literary Genres
- Literature in Prose, and the Development of Print Culture
Poetry
The Drama
- The English Language in the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries
INTRODUCTION TO THE RESTORATION AND THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY
- Religion, Government, and Party Politics
Empiricism, Skepticism, and Religious Dissent
Industry, Commerce, and the Middle Class
Ethical Dilemmas in a Changing Nation
Print Culture
Poetry
Theater
The Novel
The Development of the English Language
Monarchs and Prime Ministers of Great Britain
Index
