Old English Literature

"John D. Niles has long been one of the most intelligent and creative readers of Old English literature; wherever his wide-ranging interest turns, he writes with a poet’s heart, a scholar’s sharp insight, and a sure grasp of critical history. One could hardly ask for a livelier or more inspiring guide to the current state of Old English studies." -Roy M. Liuzza, University of Tennessee

"Old English Literature is authoritative, comprehensive, reflective and wise, reflecting the author’s breadth of understanding of his subject and his secure appreciation of the wider context of literary studies in the twentieth and twenty-first century. The book will be seen as an indispensable guide to Anglo-Saxon literary studies, complementing Niles’s The Idea of Anglo-Saxon England 1066-1901.” -Hugh Magennis, Queen’s University Belfast


"This is a wide-ranging survey of critical studies on Old English literature that effectively maps out a complete field, all described in the engaged voice of a toiler in that field who is as generous as he is well-informed in his  assessments. Accounts of important studies are leavened with brief biographies of influential critics that facilitate understanding critical movements in their full context, while reprinted key essays provide an added bonus. Through crafting this highly ambitious guide, Niles has provided a service for anyone interested in the study of Old English literature as it has been practiced over the last forty or so years."  -Jonathan Wilcox, University of Iowa