Prof. Frontain and the other illustrious editors of this book, have taken great heed of presenting us with a serious scholarly work, in which the traditionally opposed figures of the women-visiting Jack Donne and the enthusiastic preacher 'Dr John Donne' merge, the same way in which sacred and profane merge in his poems and prose. The book is highly recommended for those looking for a source of bibliographical data, and for a new perspective on John Donne's opera omnia. It is not recommended for those who think, like Dr Johnson, that Donne's aesthetics 'yoke' together inconciliably different worlds.

This book is an excellent companion piece to Milton studies, whether one is an undergraduate reading Milton for the first time, or a Milton scholar of a quarter-century's standing. Prof. Shawcross is recognized by his peers as the premier authority for Milton biography among scholars living today, and his former teacher, William Parker, held that rank for the previous generation. Though its approach is sufficiently psychological to earn it a classification among the works of that discipline by Library of Congress, it is densely populated by matters biographical. It addresses textual issues intermingled with a reliable account of the events of Milton's life, and includes a goldmine of insights gleaned over the decades of Prof. Shawcross's own meticulous readings, making Milton's works not only more comprehensible to the novice, but enriching the experience of reading them even for an "old hand."

Prof. Shawcross's writing style is lucid and non-pedantic, and the effort is a masterful one (not surprising, to anyone who knows his previous output). Like Nicolson's _Reader's Guide_ of several decades ago, _The Self and the World_ provides the rich background modern students need to understand the relevance of Milton studies to today's world -- only it does so even more successfully, in my opinion (and I have the greatest respect for Prof. Nicolson's work).

I would recommend this book to anyone teaching or studying Milton, at any level of expertise -- without reservation.

Co-edited by John T. Shawcross, whose synopses of the arguments and critical and bibliographical history of Milton's prose works in the Appendix would alone make it a valuable addition to any reader's shelf, this book contains a collection of essays by some of the most prominent scholars of the genre (including Profs. Shawcross and Lieb). It is a "must read" for anyone interested in Miltonic thought, and though out of print, will be worth the effort to locate.