`Review from previous edition a fascinating book to browse in' Michael Kerrigan, The Scotsman `answer[s] the need for a history of English that is up-to-date, culturally sensitive, detailed and rigorous. Yet also, true to Emerson's philosophy, convey[s] some of the lustre, excitement and agony of the past.' Henry Hitchings, New Statesman `...this is an appealing volume... For those who wish to carry on after the first term or textbook...and those who are interested in getting a guided exposure to authentic text samples or in looking a little behind the scenes of scholarly argumentation, this is the work of choice.' English World-Wide, 29:1