The completion of this renowned series is a landmark event in the field of American literature. Now available together as a set, the eight volumes of this History offer the most comprehensive narrative and analysis of four centuries of achievement in all genres of writing. The authors include many of the most eminent scholars working in the field today. Spanning three decades of achievement in American literary criticism, they represent the continuities as well as the disruptions sustained between generations of scholarship. Organised by genre and period, the History explores key canonical texts in depth while it allows space for a variety of critical approaches and uncovers, through the expertise of its contributors, many important but lesser-known texts and contexts. This monumental work is an essential work of reference for all students and scholars of American literature, and will inspire many new directions for future research. The special set price offers a significant saving on the purchase of the individual volumes