Samuel Johnson

The 1,300-page selection...under the editorship of the master scholar of the English 18th century David Womersley, is the most comprehensive volume now available. * Algis Valiunas, Claremont Review of Books *
Womersley's elegant introduction interweaves biography with the literary forms that Johnson often single-handedly transformed, with compelling reflections on the anomalies and estrangements in his prose ... a richly representative volume * Jayne Lewis, Studies in English Literature *
The astonishing range of that work is fairly represented in David Womersley's selection ... By giving each of them due weight, this superb new edition -- a slab of a book -- suggests a way of putting Johnson's life and his writing back together again ... Womersley's positioning of these texts, based on attested dates of composition rather than publication, possesses biographical and critical coherence, providing the reader with a sense of Johnson's exceptional versatility in public and private life. * Freya Johnston, London Review of Books *
This is easily the most comprehensive, visually attractive anthology of Johnson's poetry and prose ever produced. Its generous length permits inclusion of numerous less-known pieces; it is physically compact and easy to hold in the hands; and it includes black-and-white illustrations of title pages, a manuscript page, and a printer's proof page. * CHOICE *