English Literature

Edited by Albert Croll Baugh.
2nd edition. NY: Appleton-Century-Crofts, 1967. 4 volumes.
To understand literature, exploring context helps. This four-volume set provides a thorough clear chronological introduction to four major periods in English literature: The Middle Ages [consisting of the Old and Middle English periods] (vol. I), The Renaissance (vol. II), The Restoration and the Eighteenth Century (vol. III) and The Nineteenth Century and After (vol. IV). With information on genres, literary movements, authors and their works, and marked with brief headings in the margins, A Literary History of England serves as a useful starting place to gain background for a paper. Each volume contains a lengthy bibliographical supplement at the back, as well as an index.

Revised by R. W. Chapman.
2nd edition. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1961.
This little book gives you, at a glance, a chronological list of works published by major British authors from the Renaissance to 1950. Arranged first by publication year, then alphabetically by author, the book includes brief italicized historical notes in the margins to provide context. In contrast with Rogal's Chronological Outline of British Literature [St Michael's 1st Floor Reference Area - PR87 .R57 1980], this title provides a narrower date range but more detailed entries. As an example, Chapman's Annals lists 35 works for 1834, whereas Rogal's Chronological Outline lists 19.