This introductory study presents Racine's Phedre as the culmination of French classical tragedy. It situates the play in its historical, literary and theatrical context, shows its relationship with other tragedies of Racine, and sketches its influence on later European literature. It analyzes the structures and language of the play, considers the major characters in action, and explores the ancient classical background and the mythological content. A chronological table of Racine's life and times and a guide to further reading are included.

The Franks first come to light in the third century A.D. as a group of barbarians living in the marshy lowlands of the Rhine frontier of the Roman Empire. By 800 they had become the political heirs of the Romans in the West.

In a departure from traditional histories of France, Edward James does not concentrate solely on the history of the monarchy, but examines the five centuries which followed the collapse of the Roman Empire in the fifth century.

A history of the fantasy form, this work traces the genre from the earliest years with "The Epic of Gilgamesh" and "The Odyssey" through to the origins of modern fantasy in the 20th century with such acclaimed writers as Terry Pratchett and J. K. Rowling. An exploration of the great variety of fiction published under the heading "fantasy," this engaging study seeks to explain its continuing and ever growing popularity.