history and criticism

Explores how the city of London has been portrayed in fiction writing throughout history, comparing the fictional city with the historical city it was and the vibrant capital it is now.

Provides a critical analysis of the writings of twentieth-century African-American dramatist August Wilson, and includes a chronology, as well as information about the personal experiences that have influenced his work.

A companion to C. S. Lewis's Narnia tales that discusses their characters and events; literary and religious themes; morals; and historical, mythological, religious, and scientific roots and meanings, as well as Lewis's relationships with other authors, such as J. R. R. Tolkien.

Dana Andrew Jennings explores how country music defined and described the life of the rural white working poor from 1950 to 1970, drawing on his own experiences and those of his family to demonstrate how the lyrics of the era's most popular country songs perfectly captured the daily struggles workers faced.

Traces the history of the rock band Green Day, discussing the members' difficult childhoods, influence from British punk bands, career successes and disappointments, influence on American music, and other related topics.

Explores the true science that underlies some of the greatest comic book supervillains of all time, examining the limits of science, the laws of nature, and the future of technology in relation to the foes.

Presents the comprehensive history behind the first edition in 1928 of the Oxford English Dictionary, and describes the numerous conflicts about what should and should not be included, controversies over meanings, definitions, and pronunciations, and struggles to determine correct usage of some words.

An encyclopedia containing more than eight hundred entries and seventy illustrations about fairy tales, both ancient and modern, and related topics such as film, art, opera, ballet, and music.

Explores the origins and underlying meanings of the fairy tale "Little Red Riding Hood," and looks at how the story has evolved over the years to reflect changing gender roles.