This biography of William Cowper by Goldwin Smith (1823 1910) was published in the first series of 'English Men of Letters' in 1880 (this reissue being from the 'ninth thousand' of 1881). Smith states in his opening chapter that Cowper (1731 1800) 'is the most important English poet of the period between Pope and the illustrious group headed by Wordsworth, Byron and Shelley he may perhaps himself be numbered among the precursors of the Revolution, though he was certainly the mildest of them all'. He also regards Cowper as the great poet of the religious revival of the eighteenth century. Smith himself was an Oxford-educated historian who wrote for the Saturday Review among other periodicals. He was appointed Regius Professor of Modern History at Oxford in 1858, and later taught at Cornell University, before settling in Canada, where he wrote widely on historical, constitutional and religious topics.

James Catnach (1792-1841) became famous for publishing satirical ballads and sensational accounts of famous murders in his daily broadsheets, first printed in his own home in Seven Dials, London. Capitalising on the turbulent times, Catnach grew rich on producing lurid descriptions of crimes and the trials and executions that followed them. His imagination occasionally over-stepped the mark; he was once jailed for libel after claiming that a local butcher made his sausages from human flesh. This sympathetic and entertaining biography of Catnach, first published in 1878 by London raconteur Charles Hindley (d. 1893), describes Catnach's rise to prominence and features numerous reproductions of his ballads and stories. It is a fascinating tale encompassing the development of early forms of mass media and the wider political and social currents of the time, and provides invaluable insights into popular culture in nineteenth-century London.

This biography of Thomas Carlyle (1795 1881) was published in the first series of English Men of Letters in 1892. The author, John Nichol (1833 94), who also wrote on Byron for the series, was an author, poet and critic who was for many years professor of English literature at the University of Glasgow, and who moved in the same intellectual circles as Carlyle, though as he states in his prefatory note, he knew him only slightly. Nichol acknowledges his indebtedness in this work to J. A. Froude, Carlyle's friend, disciple and biographer, but his portrait of the 'master spirit of his time' does not attempt to gloss over the notorious difficulties of Carlyle's personality. Several chapters are devoted to the reception of his works, their influence and the likelihood of their continuing importance: Nichol concludes that Carlyle was 'in truth, a prophet, and he has left his gospels'.

John Ruskin (1819 1900), the influential Victorian art critic and social theorist, lived in the Lake District for nearly 30 years. This biographical study, first published in 1901, focuses on the significance of the region in Ruskin's life and art. It begins with his first visit as a five-year-old, when he became ''a dedicated spirit' to the beauty and the wonders of Nature', and ends with accounts of his funeral and memorial at Coniston. It describes his commitment to the local people and their traditional crafts, and his relationship with the poet Wordsworth. The author, H. D. Rawnsley (1851 1920), was a clergyman, conservationist and keen art lover based in the Lake District who had been personally tutored by Ruskin and who was one of the founders, in 1884, of the heritage organisation that became the National Trust.

John O'Keeffe (1747-1833) was an Irish playwright who began his career as an actor in 1764. His first significant success as a writer was the play The Son-in-Law in 1779, and he was later called 'our English Moliere' by essayist William Hazlitt. He moved to London in 1781 - around the same time that his marriage broke down - and wrote a string of successful comic operas and dramatic works, including Wild Oats (1791). However, he suffered from failing eyesight and was nearly blind at the height of his fame. He dictated this memoir, published in two volumes in 1826, to his daughter, Adelaide (1776-1865). In Volume 1, O'Keeffe recounts his childhood in Ireland, his first trip to London in 1762, where he saw the legendary actor and theatre producer David Garrick (1717-79) on stage, and the beginning of his own dramatic career upon returning to Dublin.

John O'Keeffe (1747-1833) was an Irish playwright who began his career as an actor in 1764. His first significant success as a writer was the play The Son-in-Law in 1779, and he was later called 'our English Moliere' by essayist William Hazlitt. He moved to London in 1781 - around the same time that his marriage broke down - and wrote a string of successful comic operas and dramatic works, including Wild Oats (1791). However, he suffered from failing eyesight and was nearly blind at the height of his fame. He dictated this memoir, published in two volumes in 1826, to his daughter, Adelaide (1776-1865). In Volume 2, O'Keeffe recounts his years in London, discussing many of his plays and giving a glimpse into theatre life in Georgian England, before moving on to his subsequent retirement and the complications surrounding the publication of his collected works.

Published in 1872, this two-volume autobiography by the British playwright J. R. Planche (1796-1880) tells the story of his long and varied life in the theatre. Planche wrote, adapted or collaborated on 176 plays over the course of his career, covering a wide range of theatrical genres including comedy, opera, extravaganza and pantomime. He also became an acknowledged expert on stage costume, and argued the importance of historically accurate costumes in productions of Shakespeare's plays. Engagingly written, these volumes contain fascinating anecdotes on the famous theatrical and musical figures of the time, including Charles Kemble, Eliza Vestris and Carl Maria von Weber. Volume 1 contains Planche's descriptions of his childhood, and recollections of the beginnings of his career at Drury Lane and Covent Garden. The work confirms Planche's permanent place in the history of theatre practice, and provides an intriguing glimpse into the Regency and early Victorian London stage.

Published in 1872, this two-volume autobiography by the British playwright J. R. Planche (1796-1880) tells the story of his long and varied life in the theatre. Planche wrote, adapted or collaborated on 176 plays over the course of his career, covering a wide range of theatrical genres including comedy, opera, extravaganza and pantomime. He also became an acknowledged expert on stage costume, and argued the importance of historically accurate costumes in productions of Shakespeare's plays. Engagingly written, these volumes contain fascinating anecdotes on the famous theatrical and musical figures of the time, including Charles Kemble, Eliza Vestris and Carl Maria von Weber. Volume 2 traces the continued development of Planche's career, covering his productions at the Olympic, Drury Lane, Covent Garden and Haymarket theatres. The work confirms Planche's permanent place in the history of theatre practice, and provides an intriguing glimpse into the Regency and early Victorian London stage.

Jonathan Swift (1667-1745) was born in Dublin and studied at the city's Trinity College. He gained his B.A. in 1686 before going to England where he took a Master's degree at Oxford in 1692. Subsequently, Swift lived between England and Ireland for a number of years. He moved permanently from England in 1714 after the Tory party he supported lost power. Back in Ireland as Dean of St Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin, he turned his talents to supporting Irish causes. During this period he wrote some of his best work, including Gulliver's Travels, the satirical masterpiece which has been continuously in print since its publication in 1726. Written by Sir Walter Scott, this is the first part of a two-volume biography of Swift, first published in 1826. This volume covers his early life up to his appointment as Dean of St Patrick's and his involvement in Irish politics.

Jonathan Swift (1667-1745) was born in Dublin and studied at the city's Trinity College. He gained his B.A. in 1686 before going to England where he took a Master's degree at Oxford in 1692. Subsequently, Swift lived between England and Ireland for a number of years. He moved from England in 1714 after the Tory party he supported lost power. Back in Ireland as Dean of St Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin, he turned his talents to supporting Irish causes. During this period he wrote some of his best work, including Gulliver's Travels, the satirical masterpiece which has been continuously in print since its publication in 1726. Written by Sir Walter Scott, this is the second part of a two-volume biography of Swift, first published in 1826. This volume covers the period from the publication of Gulliver's Travels, and includes a transcript of his last will and testament.

Sir Philip Sidney (1554-86) was an English poet and courtier who is now seen as one of the most influential English writers of the sixteenth century. Born into a politically active family, Sidney is best known for his works Astrophel and Stella, a story in sonnet form which popularised this literary genre in England, and Arcadia, a romance which was the first English vernacular work to be published on the continent. This volume, published in the first series of English Men of Letters in 1886 by literary scholar John Addington Symonds (1840-93), provides a concise biography of a fascinating character. Describing Sidney's childhood, European travels and time spent as a courtier, and his heroic death, this biography draws together previous scholarship on Sidney to provide a valuable account of his life and of contemporary English and continental influences on his work.

Historian, essayist and poet, Thomas Babington Macaulay (1800-59) is described by his biographer as possessing a mind that was born wise and nurtured to a state of brilliance. With an ability to imbue his most scholarly works with a narrative power 'on a level with that of the greatest masters of prose fiction', Macaulay's multi-volume History of England assured his fame in middle-class Victorian households. Nevertheless, few today are familiar with the author's personal history. Published in the first series of English Men of Letters in 1882, this biography by James Cotter Morison (1832-88) introduces readers to the main influences on Macaulay's life and work from his childhood, through his days at Trinity College, Cambridge, to the writing of his History. The result is a sympathetic and detailed portrait of a man whose life was shaped by literature.

Written by clergyman Alfred Ainger (1837 1904), this 1882 biography of writer Charles Lamb (1775 1834) is the twenty-first book in the first series of 'English Men of Letters'. Charles Lamb began publishing his poetry in the late 1790s. Both he and his sister Mary (1764 1847), who had been released into Charles' care after killing their mother in a fit of insanity in 1796, began writing for children with the encouragement of William Godwin, their works including the Tales from Shakespeare (1807) for which they are best known. Lamb was also widely regarded for his skill as an essayist, and particularly for his Essays of Elia. Ainger devoted much of his career to Lamb's life and writings, including a six-volume edited collection of Lamb's work. His biography focuses on Lamb's literary output and his place as a critic as well as the events of the writer's life.

This 1879 biography of poet and author Robert Southey (1774-1843), friend of Coleridge and Wordsworth, and Poet Laureate, provided a fresh and concise account of his literary endeavours and personal experiences. Written by Edward Dowden (1843-1913), an author and poet of the subsequent generation, and published in the first series of English Men of Letters, the work charts Southey's life, education, travels and literary activities, as well as his changing political views from the Jacobinism of his youth to the relatively conservative outlook of his later years. The book is notable for the extensive quotations which allow the reader to hear the subject's voice, but takes its cue from the writings as a whole instead of engaging in the analysis of individual books and poems.

Written by Scottish novelist William Black (1841-98), this biography of the Irish-born poet, dramatist and novelist Oliver Goldsmith (c.1728-74) was published in 1878 as the sixth book in the first series of English Men of Letters. Goldsmith is best known for his novel The Vicar of Wakefield (1766) and the play She Stoops to Conquer (1771), as well as his close association with Samuel Johnson, James Boswell, and William Hogarth. The biography is a colourful one: as Black observes, Goldsmith, who was trained as a physician but whose whole career was in literature, possessed a 'happy knack of enjoying the present hour', and his pursuit of pleasure frequently left him in debt. Black himself was one of the most prolific and popular writers of his day; a collected edition of his works published 1892-4 ran to twenty-six volumes.

The Scots novelist Margaret Oliphant (1828 97) published this biography of the playwright and poet Richard Brinsley Sheridan (1751 1816) in the first 'English Men of Letters' series in 1883. Sheridan is best known for his plays The Rivals, A Trip to Scarborough, and The School for Scandal, which was his most popular work among his contemporaries. Sheridan was also at one point the owner of the famous Theatre Royal on Drury Lane, which he purchased with his father-in-law in 1776. He led a radical political career, becoming a Whig MP in 1780 and quickly developing a reputation as a brilliant orator. He defended the French Revolution and supported American colonists against British colonial policy. Oliphant's biography covers Sheridan's youth, dramatic writing, political career and middle age; her vivid and sympathetic portrayal provides a valuable insight into his remarkable life.

This critical essay and biography by Henry James (1843-1916) of his fellow American novelist Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-64), today best remembered for The Scarlet Letter and The House of the Seven Gables, was published in the first 'English Men of Letters' series in 1879, and is notable for being the only volume in that series devoted to an American. It is now recognised as being one of the first critical studies of an American writer, and it remains an important work for students and admirers both of James and of Hawthorne. In his critical assessment, James, whose own writing was strongly influenced by Hawthorne, seeks to identify him not only as a great novelist, but particularly as an American novelist, rooted in the landscape, and speaking in the language, of the New World.

Didion chronicles the experience of losing her husband, the writer John Gregory Dunne, to a massive coronary, just weeks after the two of them watched as their only daughter was put into an induced coma to save her life. With honesty and passion, Didion explores this intensely personal yet universal experience.

In this evocative biography, Benjamin E. Wise presents the singular life of William Alexander Percy (1885-1942), a queer plantation owner, poet, and memoirist from Mississippi. Though Percy is best known as a conservative apologist of the southern racial order, in this telling Wise creates a complex and surprising portrait of a cultural relativist, sexual liberationist, and white supremacist. We follow Percy as he travels from Mississippi around the globe and, always, back again to the Delta. Wise's exploration brings depth and new meaning to Percy's already compelling life story - his prominent family's troubled history, his elite education and subsequent soldiering in World War I, his civic leadership during the Mississippi River flood of 1927, his mentoring of writers Walker Percy and Shelby Foote, and the writing and publication of his classic autobiography, Lanterns on the Levee. This biography sets Percy's life and search for meaning in the context of his history in the Deep South and his experiences in the gay male world of the early twentieth century. In Wise's hands, these seemingly disparate worlds become one.

Thomas Carlyle (1795-1881) was one of the most influential authors of the nineteenth century. His satirical essays and perceptive historical biographies caused him to be regarded for much of the Victorian period as a literary genius and eminent social philosopher. These volumes, first published in 1882, form the first part of Carlyle's official biography, describing his early life and literary work in Scotland. Carlyle's early career was spent as a teacher and part-time writer before his move to London in 1834. Written by Carlyle's close friend James Anthony Froude (1818-1894), this candid and controversial biography describes in vivid detail Carlyle's early literary influences and the sense of isolation he felt during his frustrating years as a schoolmaster. This revealing work broke traditional Victorian biographical conventions, and is considered a classic for its critical analysis of Carlyle's actions and character. Volume 1 covers the years 1795-1827.

Thomas Carlyle (1795-1881) was one of the most influential authors of the nineteenth century. His satirical essays and perceptive historical biographies caused him to be regarded for much of the Victorian period as a literary genius and eminent social philosopher. These volumes, first published in 1882, form the first part of Carlyle's official biography, describing his early life and literary work in Scotland. Carlyle's early career was spent as a teacher and part-time writer before his move to London in 1834. Written by Carlyle's close friend James Anthony Froude (1818-1894), this candid and controversial biography describes in vivid detail Carlyle's early literary influences and the sense of isolation he felt during his frustrating years as a schoolmaster. This revealing work broke traditional Victorian biographical conventions, and is considered a classic for its critical analysis of Carlyle's actions and character. Volume 2 covers the years 1828-1834.

Thomas Carlyle (1795 1881) was one of the most influential authors of the nineteenth century. His satirical essays and perceptive historical biographies caused him to be regarded for much of the Victorian period as a literary genius and eminent social philosopher. These volumes, first published in 1884, form the second part of Carlyle's official biography, describing his life and literary work after his move to London in 1834. Carlyle's fame and scholarly reputation were firmly established during this period of his life. Written by his close friend James Anthony Froude (1818 1894), this candid and controversial biography describes in vivid detail the effect of Carlyle's fame on his literary work, and on his relationship with his wife and close friends. This revealing work broke traditional Victorian biographical conventions, and is considered a classic for its critical analysis of Carlyle's actions and character. Volume 1 covers the years 1834 1849.

Thomas Carlyle (1795 1881) was one of the most influential authors of the nineteenth century. His satirical essays and perceptive historical biographies caused him to be regarded for much of the Victorian period as a literary genius and eminent social philosopher. These volumes, first published in 1884, form the second part of Carlyle's official biography, describing his life and literary work after his move to London in 1834. Carlyle's fame and scholarly reputation were firmly established during this period of his life. Written by his close friend James Anthony Froude (1818 1894), this candid and controversial biography describes in vivid detail the effect of Carlyle's fame on his literary work, and on his relationship with his wife and close friends. This revealing work broke traditional Victorian biographical conventions, and is considered a classic for its critical analysis of Carlyle's actions and character. Volume 2 covers the years 1850 1881.

Much of what was central to Tolstoy seems embarrassing to Western and Soviet critics, points out Richard Gustafson in his absorbing argument for the predominance of Tolstoy's religious viewpoint in all his writings. Received opinion says that there are two Tolstoys, the pre-conversion artist and the post-conversion religious thinker and prophet, but Professor Gustafson argues convincingly that the man is not two, but one.

Originally published in 1989.

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