The Longman Anthology of British Literature, Compact Edition is a concise and thoughtfully arranged survey of British literature for the one-semester course.

Within its pages, canonical authors mingle with newly visible writers; English accents are heard next to Anglo-Norman, Welsh, Gaelic, and Scottish ones; female and male voices are set in dialogue; literature from the British Isles is integrated with post-colonial writing; and major works are illumined by clusters of shorter texts that bring literary, social, and historical issues vividly to life.

The Second Edition builds on the pioneering features of its predecessor, retaining a strong core of frequently taught works while continuing to lead the way in responding to the shifting interests of the discipline.