"This book offers intermediate learners of English as a Foreign Language an original and stimulating learning experience. It introduces them to the beginnings of British literature, starting from the Anglo-Saxon world and continuing up to the beginning of the Renaissance. The texts chosen cover the development of poetry, narrative and the theatre, and the historical and social context from which they are drawn. No attempt has been made to offer an encyclopaedic survey of all authors and their works. Rather, a representative selection has been made from the various historical periods, including many 'classic' works."