An Outline History of English Literature

by William Henry Hudson

An Outline History of English Literature takes a look at English literature as a whole, from the pre-Chaucerian period (500–1340 A.D.) down to the 1950s. Along the way, it profiles the great writers who have left their indelible marks on literature, such as Geoffrey Chaucer, William Shakespeare, John Milton, John Dryden, William Wordsworth, Alfred Tennyson, T.S. Eliot and others. Since literature is always shaped by the age it is born in, the author also places each genre and writer in the context of their times to show how prevalent trends, events and circumstances affected the works of that era.
A clear and systematic account not only of literature but of writers, their ages and the epochal moments of each age, An Outline History of English Literature will prove invaluable to students, researchers as well as literature buffs.

Genres: Nonfiction, Literature, History

321 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2021

About the author

William Henry Hudson was an Anglo-Argentine author, naturalist and ornithologist. His works include Green Mansions (1904).

Argentines consider him to belong to their national literature as Guillermo Enrique Hudson, the Spanish version of his name. He spent his youth studying the local flora and fauna and observing natural and human dramas on then a lawless frontier, publishing his ornithological work in Proceedings of the Royal Zoological Society, initially in an English mingled with Spanish idioms. He settled in England during 1874. He produced a series of ornithological studies, including Argentine Ornithology (1888-1899) and British Birds (1895), and later achieved fame with his books on the English countryside, including Hampshire Days (1903), Afoot in England (1909) and A Shepherd's Life (1910). People best know his nonfiction in Far Away and Long Ago (1918). His other works include: The Purple Land (That England Lost) (1885), A Crystal Age (1887), The Naturalist in La Plata (1892), A Little Boy Lost (1905), Birds in Town and Village (1919), Dead Man's Plack and an Old Thorn (1920), and A Traveller in Little Things (1921).

Reviews

[Fiza Pathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

'An Outline: History of English Literature' is an excellent resource for those who are beginners in the study of literature. It highlights the various literary time frames from a British perspective. It is comprehensive, well edited & the time lines at the end of each chapter help a lot in the understanding of the subject at hand. As a history & sociology student, I found the book as a good introduction to a subject which I am unfamiliar in. English Literature students will find this book very useful in their field of research & study. The book was a real eyeopener for me & I will keep on dipping into it for reference. It is a very good reference book for beginners. Hudson's book gets 4 stars from me.

[Suhasini Srihari · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hudson has effectively accounted the details of the history of English Literature, ranging from a little period before Chaucer to the recent 1955. It is a good read for the beginners to understand how the language has evolved and how writers of different ages have contributed in depicting the scenarios of their respective ages. We also see several movements taking its form and gradually evading through the progress of history. Hudson's language is fluid and the reader can find the book gripping for a longer time.

[Atram Buddhewad · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the best introductory books on the history of english literature. Must read book for the learner of english literature. Book contains general history and social background of particular literary period and literary scholars.