Books in British Library writers' lives series

Deploying a wide range of illustrations, from manuscripts in Wordsworth's hand in The British Library, and at the Wordsworth Trust at Dove Cottage in Grasmere, to photographs, portraits and paintings in many other collections, Stephen Hebron discusses the life of a writer whose works had a tremendous influence on his contemporaries and later poets alike. He recounts how Wordsworth left his upbringing in Cumbria for Cambridge University and travelled extensively in Revolutionary France and the rest of Europe, before returning to Dove Cottage where he created some of the leading works of the Romantic period, becoming an establishment figures in his later years.

John Keats died at an early age, leaving what have become some of the best-known English poems, such as "Ode to a Nightingale," "Ode to a Grecian Urn," "Ode to Melancholy" and "Ode to Autumn." In this biography of Keats, Stephen Hebron traces Keats' life and development as a poet, assessing his work in the context of the contemporary social and literary scene. After leaving school, Keats gained an apprenticeship to a surgeon and went on to qualify as an apothecary. But increasingly poetry dominated as his principal interest. He began to move in poetic and artistic circles, counting among his friends and acquaintances Leigh Hunt, Benjamin Haydon, Charles Lamb and Percy Bysshe Shelley and it was not long before his poetry was published regularly. Despite admiration of him by contemporary literary figures, reviewers were not as favourable and in his lifetime the majority of his poetry met with harsh criticism. Having lost his mother and brother to tuberculosis, Keats knew the signs of the illness when he too succumbed. Sent to Italy by his doctors to recuperate, he never returned, dying in Rome aged just 26. His poetry inspired Tennyson and Browning, and the pre-Raphaelite painter ranked him on a par with Dante, Homer, Chaucer and Goethe. Today, Keats is recognised as one of the great poets of the Romantic age, confirmation of his own assertion " I think I shall be among the English Poets after my death."

Jane Austen is now one of the most popular novelists in the English language, and yet on the face of it one of the most unlikely candidates for such a title. Austen died at the age of 41 and left behind only six completed novels. Yet her works have never been out of print, and in this century, within the last three decades in particular, never a year passes without some fresh adaptation of her stories for stage, screen, or television. In this skillfully crafted biography, Deirdre Le Faye brings Austen's tantalizingly elusive image into a distinct and refreshing light.

At the age of eleven, Jozef Teodor Konrad Korzeniowski had already led an extraordinary life. Born in the Ukraine, to Polish patriot parents, the boy had endured a hazardous childhood of exile and oppression.How much more extraordinary that after many eventful years sailing the seas he should emerge as Joseph Conrad, Englishman, and one of the world's greatest writers. Chris Fletcher's accessible biography explores how Conrad's experiences of exile and career as a merchant seaman shaped some of the major themes of his writing.The British Library Writers' Lives: Joseph Conrad draws material from the Library's unparalleled collection of literary manuscripts and many other sources to illustrate the background to Conrad's early family life, his voyages and later years as a writer in England.

Charlotte Brontë won great fame with her semi-autobiographical novels Jane Eyre, Shirley, Villette, and The Professor. Her life story is almost as well-known as the history of her most popular herione, from her bereaved yet extraordinarily creative childhood in a bleak Yorkshire parsonage to her early death just months into a happy marriage to her father's curate. Few writers have had the facts of their lives so inextricably linked with the fiction they wrote. This book, written by an acknowledged expert on the Brontes and beautifully illustrated throughout, provides a fluent, objective and compassionate account of the life of a much loved genius of English literature.

Polish-born Joseph Conrad (1857-1924) is widely considered to be one of the finest masters of the English language. His life at sea and in foreign ports around the world furnished most of the material for his books, which include Lord Jim, The Secret Agent, and perhaps his best-known story, "The Heart of Darkness." This beautifully illustrated volume, written by author Chris Fletcher, provides a thorough look at this complex author. About the series: The British Library is in a unique position when it comes to biographical research, especially concerning British authors. This revered institution boasts the world's largest collection of original manuscripts, as well as an outstanding collection of letters, personal diaries, first editions, and other literary treasures. The titles in this series take full advantage of this vast source of documentary evidence by illustrating each of these lively writers' biographies with state-of-the-art facsimiles of pertinent documents and reproductions of art from the period. Penned by expert biographers, each of these books also contains an index, further reading list, and a chronology of the writer's life.

William Shakespeare (1564-1616) is recognized around the world as the greatest English playwright. This entertaining and authoritative account of the Bard's life and work by Professor Dominic Shellard provides a clear account of the main events in the playwright's life, and gives new insights into the circumstances and influences that shaped his major works. The text and illustrations are based on the manuscript and printed book collections of the British Library.

The essential guide to doing effective research.Praise for the hardcover edition:"This is a winner."—Reference Reviews on www.gale.comThe Facts On File Guide to Research is a comprehensive guide to doing thorough and accurate research. It includes detailed lists of available resources and explains general research methods and proper citation of sources. An invaluable reference, this book helps researchers make use of the many new resources available today. It is divided into four easy-to-use sections:Researching Your Topic contains a step-by-step guide to the process of doing research, with information on developing a subject and planning research, gathering information, and evaluating sources Finding Sources of Information explains how to find, access, and use a number of different sources, from archival collections and biographical indexes to government agencies and newspapers, from online and electronic services to radio and televisionFinding Sources by Subject contains lists of important research sources categorized by subject matterUsing Your Sources explains how to cite sources, avoid plagiarism, and create a bibliography. The Facts On File Guide to Research helps students and general readers prepare for research papers and class studies. Valuable appendixes cover style guides, including APA, MLA, and The Chicago Manual of Style.