This third and final volume of The Letters of Alfred Lord Tennyson, the first collected edition, is notable for the light it throws on Tennyson's efforts as a dramatist and on his interactions with the leading theatre managers, actresses, and actors of the day, especially Henry Irving. The letters reveal his relations with many fellow-authors and literary men, both British and American. An important thread in the volume is his close association with Gladstone; and an extensive correspondence with the Australian, Sir Henry Parkes, reflects his continuing interest in the Empire. The volume ends with his death in 1892. To complete the edition a comprehensive index has been prepared, covering all three volumes. Previous volumes have been warmly praised by critics:

The letters in this volume describe the most remarkable years in the life of one of the most eminent Victorians - the years during which Tennyson published In Memoriam , was married, and became Poet Laureate. His own letters are supported and illuminated by contemporary reviews and descriptions of Tennyson as public figure and private man. A valuable personal insight into the poet whose writings reflect so accurately the exact pitch of his age.