Examines the world's greatest literature about empires and imperialism, including more than 200 entries on writers, classic works, themes, and concepts.

Charbonnier est maitre chez soi: ""The collier is master in his own house."" This French saying finds its most literal expression in The Tale of Charlemagne and Ralph the Collier, a 15th-century Middle Scots romance about the adventures that ensue when King Charlemagne, separated from his entourage by a blizzard,

Challenges students to think beyond a narrowly defined canon and conventional disciplinary boundaries. Includes close readings of frequently studied texts, including texts by Chaucer, Langland, the Gawain poet, and Hoccleve.

Investigations into the heroic - or not - behaviour of the protagonists of medieval romance.

King and Commoner tales were hugely popular across the late medieval and early modern periods, their cultural influence extending from Robin Hood ballads to Shakespearean national histories. This study represents the first detailed exploration of this rich and fascinating literary tradition, tracing its development across deeply politicized fifteenth-century comic tales