For undergraduates, Greenblatt (humanities, Harvard U.) compiles a collection of literature in English from the Middle Ages through the eighteenth century. This first volume (of two) includes poetry, novels, stories, essays, ballads, and other writings, such as More's Utopia, Johnson's Rasselas, Haywood's Fantomina, Milton's Paradise Lost, Behn's Oroonoko, Beowulf, and Shakespeare's sonnets, King Lear, and Twelfth Night. Additional writings are by Chaucer, Elizabeth I, John Donne, Jonathan Swift, Francis Bacon, Christopher Marlowe, and Ben Jonson, among many others. Each section is preceded by an introduction with information on biography and the author's works. Some of the excerpts are grouped by topic, such as women in power, faith in conflict, crisis of authority, and the gender wars. The new edition has a stronger section on medieval drama, more selections by women, a new glossary, color plates, and other updates. Annotation ©2006 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com) Read Less