“Professor Adams seems to have read the whole library and yet. . .retained his pith, vigor, suppleness, and good cheer. In addition, he knows how to tell a story...One of the pleasure. . .lies in [the book’s] rich texture of cross-references between history and literature...Exhilarating.” ―Daniel Albright, New York Review of Books A companion to British literature explores the political, social, intellectual, and cultural history and background of English poetry, fiction, prose, and drama and analyzes the changing conditions of literary activity.