The two-volume Broadview Anthology of British Literature, Concise Edition provides an attractive alternative to the full six-volume anthology. Though much more compact, the concise edition nevertheless provides a thoughtful balance between well-established canonical authors and a diverse array of lesser-known works. Guided by the latest scholarship in British literary studies, the anthology is committed to inclusiveness, social responsibility, and contextualization. With an unparalleled number of illustrations and contextual materials, accessible and engaging introductions, and full explanatory annotations, the concise edition of this acclaimed Broadview anthology provides focused yet wide-ranging coverage for British literature survey courses.

Among the works now included for the first time in the bound book of the Concise Edition, Volume A are poems by Gwerful Mechain, selections from Giovanni Boccaccio’s The Decameron, Samson Occom’s autobiography, and selections from Samuel Richardson’s Pamela and Frances Burney’s Evelina. There are also new omnibus sections, including an expanded “Culture: A Portfolio” section with material on early modern theater and crossdressing, a revised section on “Other Lands, Other Cultures” in the early modern period, and sections addressing “The Enlightenment,” “Slavery and Resistance,” and “Empire and Enterprise.” As before, the concise edition includes a substantial website component, providing instructors with a great degree of flexibility. Material that no longer appears in the bound book may in almost all cases be found in the companion website; many longer works are also available from the publisher in separate volumes that may at the instructor’s request be bundled together with this anthology.

Joseph L. Black is professor and director of Graduate Studies in the Department of English at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

Joseph Black's profile page

Leonard Conolly's profile page

Kate Flint's profile page

Isobel Grundy's profile page

Wendy Lee's profile page

Don LePan, founder and CEO of academic publishing house Broadview Press, is the author of several non-fiction books and of two other works of fiction; his novel Animals (2010) has been described by Nobel Prize winner J.M. Coetzee as “a powerful piece of writing and a disturbing call to conscience.”

 

Don LePan's profile page

Roy Liuzza's profile page

Jerome J. McGann's profile page

Anne Lake Prescott's profile page

Jason Rudy's profile page

Barry V. Qualls' profile page

Claire Waters' profile page

Comments on this new edition of The Broadview Anthology of British Literature, Concise Edition, Volume A:

“I have used the BABL since 2009 because I have appreciated the high editorial and aesthetic standards and how the latest revisions indicate sensitivity to new scholarship, interpretive approaches, and attention to marginalized voices. Central to my pedagogy as an instructor of British (not ‘English’) literature is that boundaries (geographic, cultural, linguistic, generic) are artificial and often obstacles to students’ understanding—as articulated forcibly in the Preface. I have lately added Welsh and Scots texts to my syllabus precisely to expand my students’ (and my own) understanding of how ‘British’ involves several independent yet interrelated languages, ethnicities, and political identities.” — Dr. Carl G. Martin, Norwich University

“As someone who has taught with the BABL Concise Edition, Volume A, since it first came out in 2007, I am very pleased to see that it remains (in my view) the best available choice for teaching one and two semester survey courses in early British literature. Between the anthology itself (in print or e-text formats), the online resources, and the option to bundle Broadview editions of longer works with the anthology, the Broadview anthology lends itself to a wide range of teaching approaches. I especially appreciate the availability of audio and video online resources for the Medieval and Renaissance portions of the anthology ... The 4th edition updates are thoughtful and timely, and have me considering a refresh of my survey course.” — Michael McClintock, Bridgewater State University

“Featuring first-rate historical and cultural introductions, as well as a highly helpful glossary of terms, the fourth edition of the Broadview Anthology of British Literature, Concise Edition, Volume A offers a superb set of texts for surveying the literature and culture of the medieval, early modern, and eighteenth-century periods. With the printed materials supplemented by an exciting and excellent array of online texts and resources (including audio files), this edition will serve both students and instructors extremely well. Broadview here continues its commitment to offering an inclusive selection of texts informed by contemporary scholarship, covering both canonical and lesser-known texts with the same editorial excellence.” — Randy Schiff, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York

“… In the literature field, a textbook is more than a given guide to the program, for the texts themselves are the focus of the study, the lab materials, one might say, of our field; hence, carefully produced literature textbooks are of utmost importance. This new edition of The Broadview Anthology of British Literature (Concise Edition, Volume A) continues Broadview’s tradition of supplying these much-needed materials: well edited texts placed among the wider contexts of cultural history.
Introductory materials, notes, and thematic contexts are well developed, offering the cultural milieu necessary for a true interrogation of the inheritance of meaning. For example, Renaissance background materials on gender and sexuality present complex cultural constructs and social negotiation of meaning resisting stereotypes that flatten and dismiss older culture. Such framing allows often unexpected representation to emerge, revealing identifications that validate the human experience throughout the ages and connect our lives within it. Overall, this volume continues Broadview’s excellent work in the field and stands as a testament to the necessity of well-developed textbooks for advanced literary study. …” — J H Taylor, Metropolitan State University of Denver

“This new edition from Broadview illustrates the press's characteristic breadth and depth, with an impressive array of online materials as well as hard-copy texts from both famous and obscure writers. The extensive and thoroughly researched in-text definitions will assist student readers in grasping textual meaning, while the scholarly headnotes orient students conveniently to the context of assigned readings. In addition to its utility for the traditional literary survey, faculty might devise more focused undergraduate syllabi around this volume, for classes covering women writers, race and empire, poetry, or prose.” — Laura Miller, University of West Georgia

“The Broadview Anthology of British Literature, Concise Edition, Volume A, is a strong confluence of history and literature—perfect for understanding the cultural forces that shape writing. Readers also have access to topics not usually seen in general anthologies, such as ‘Nature and the Environment,’ contemporary illustrations, as well as audio selections. Everyone should hear Beowulf read in Old English. I was thrilled to see a large selection of abolitionist and early feminist writing.” — Dr. Nancee Reeves, University of Georgia

“The expanded historicization provided by the new ‘omnibus’ thematic sections support a variety of culturally focused approaches to the study of British literature. Valuable full-text additions to the printed book, such as Gwerful Mechain’s medieval poems and Richard Brinsley Sheridan’s School for Scandal, enhance the study of subperiods and genres. The new multi-modal audio and video offerings in the online features will motivate instructors and students to access it. Audio selections are a great enhancement that allows readers to hear the texts (particularly useful for Old English and Middle English texts), and video performances will enhance the study of drama. …” — Elizabeth Tasker Davis, Stephen F. Austin State University

Comments on The Broadview Anthology of British Literature

“… an exciting achievement … it sets a new standard by which all other anthologies of British literature will now have to be measured.” — Graham Hammill, SUNY Buffalo

“After twenty years of teaching British literature from the Norton anthologies, I’m ready to switch to the Broadview. The introductions to each period are key to teaching a survey course, and those in the Broadview seem to me to be both more accessible to students and more detailed in their portraits of each era than are those of the Norton. And Broadview’s selection of authors and texts includes everything I like to teach from the Norton, plus a good deal else that’s of real interest.” — Neil R. Davison, Oregon State University

“I am pleased to say that my students and I really enjoyed using The Broadview Anthology of British Literature, Concise Edition this past fall and spring semesters in my survey of British literature. … The final average of my spring survey class was one of the highest in my teaching career, and I am sure that the Broadview anthology was one of the many reasons for this excellent performance. My students were also excited about the Broadview editions of Frankenstein and Tess of the D’Urbervilles that we used.” — Richard Branyon, Eastern Connecticut University

“… I have been using The Broadview Anthology of British Literature for three years now. I love it—and so do my students! I’ll say too that the support for instructors is excellent.” — Martha Stoddard-Holmes, University of California, San Marcos

“… an excellent anthology. Good selections (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