There is a crying need for an accessible, comprehensive guide to John Milton for the thousands of students who make their way through his poetry every year on literary survey and seventeenth century literature courses. Where many previous guides have dragged their way through Paradise Lost, Richard Bradford brings Milton to life with an overview of his life, contexts, work and the relationship between these, and of the main critical issues surrounding his work.'The Complete Critical Guides to English Literatureabound in references to the cultural context of each work and to its past and present reception by the public. They take into account a plurality of critical perspectives: beyond mere information, they include a concise and stimulating presentation of the state of criticism nowadays.'- Professor D.M. Degrois, Universite de Paris III
'This is a readable, useful, often insightful Guide that will be well received by students and many teachers.'- Languages and Literature