Thi textbook has been a leader in its discipline for so long due to the authors´ five original principles - choose selections primarily for their literary value, include as many complete works as possible, provide the very best available scholarly texts and annotate them fully, keep headnotes and period instuctions informative but short, and avoid literary fads. For nearly three decades, students and instructors have complemented their introductory American Literature studies with Anthology of American Literature, in both its two-volume and concise editions. This tried and true textbook has been a leader in its discipline for so long due to the authors´ five original principles - choose selections primarily for their literary value, include as many complete works as possible, provide the very best available scholarly texts and annotate them fully, keep headnotes and period instructions informative but short, and avoid literary fads. The carefully selected works introduce readers to America´s literary heritage, from the colonial times of William Bradford and Anne Bradstreet to the contemporary era of Saul Bellow and Toni Morrison. It provides a wealth of additional contextual information surrounding the readings as well as the authors themselves.
