In this attractive compendium, each book is presented with brief biographical information about the author and a one-column summary of the work in terms of its content and importance. An abundance of illustrations, primarily photos of authors but also including book jackets and movie stills, help engage both casual and serious readers--even those who hate lists or might feel inclined to quibble with the selections. The writing is by approximately 100 critics and academics whose contributions have been brought together by editors Peter Boxall (English literature, U. of Sussex, UK) and historical fiction writer Peter Ackroyd. Universe Publishing is an imprint of Rizzoli. Annotation ©2006 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com) Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

Many reference works are highly enjoyable to browse, and some are downright addictive! Case in point: these two delightful compilations of all the awesome albums to hear and books to read before departing Planet Earth. Organized chronologically (Albums are sorted by decade and Books by century), the two volumes devote a page-long entry to each album and/or book summarizing what makes it exceptional. Quibbles naturally abound, but the point here is not to agree but to simply have fun leafing through the glossy pages. You need not order these for your library, but you probably wouldn't mind keeping them for yourself. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

Many reference works are highly enjoyable to browse, and some are downright addictive! Case in point: these two delightful compilations of all the awesome albums to hear and books to read before departing Planet Earth. Organized chronologically (Albums are sorted by decade and Booksby century), the two volumes devote a page-long entry to each album and/or book summarizing what makes it exceptional. Quibbles naturally abound, but the point here is not to agree but to simply have fun leafing through the glossy pages. You need not order these for your library, but you probably wouldn't mind keeping them for yourself. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

Preface	p. 6
Introduction	p. 8
Contributors	p. 12
Title Index	p. 16
Pre-1700	p. 20
1700s	p. 38
1800s	p. 80
1900s	p. 230
2000s	p. 884
Author Index	p. 950
General Index	p. 957
Acknowledgments	p. 959
Picture Credits	p. 960

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