English Literature: Its History and Its Significance for the Life of the English Speaking World: Free Audiobook and Listening Guide

English Literature: Its History and Its Significance for the Life of the English Speaking World, credited to William J. Long, is available as a LibriVox volunteer audiobook. This guide identifies the recording, its source summary and its audio tracks.

About the work

The LibriVox catalogue summary, preserved with the recording, reads:

LibriVox recording of English Literature: Its History and Its Significance for the Life of the English Speaking World by William J. Long. Read in English by Tony Oliva This book, which presents the whole splendid history of English literature from Anglo-Saxon times to the close of the Victorian Era, has three specific aims. The first is to create or to encourage in every student the desire to read the best books, and to know literature itself rather than what has been written about literature. The second is to interpret literature both personally and historically, that is, to show how a great book generally reflects not only the author's life and thought but also the spirit of the age and the ideals of the nation's history. The third aim is to show, by a study of each successive period, how our literature has steadily developed from its first simple songs and stories to its present complexity in prose and poetry. (From the Preface by William J. Long)

Recording facts

• Recording title: English Literature: Its History and Its Significance for the Life of the English Speaking World
• Author credits: William J. Long
• Language: English
• Original MP3 tracks: 64
• Listed recording duration: 24:41:20

Catalogue topics

• textbook
• English literature
• reference

Opening tracks: first 24 of 64

1. 00 - Preface — 10:30
2. 01 - Chapter 1 - The Meaning of Literature — 15:25
3. 02 - Chapter 2 - THE ANGLO-SAXON OR OLD-ENGLISH PERIOD (450-1050) — 36:14
4. 03 - Chapter 2 - continued — 18:39
5. 04 - Chapter 2 - continued — 41:11
6. 05 - Chapter 3 - THE ANGLO-NORMAN PERIOD (1066-1350) — 11:30
7. 06 - Chapter 3 - continued — 46:07
8. 07 - Chapter 4 - THE AGE OF CHAUCER (1350-1400) — 35:20
9. 08 - Chapter 4 - continued — 21:11
10. 09 - Chapter 5 - THE REVIVAL OF LEARNING (1400-1550) — 26:22
11. 10 - Chapter 6 - THE AGE OF ELIZABETH (1550-1620) — 8:14
12. 11 - Chapter 6 - continued — 35:47
13. 12 - Chapter 6 - continued — 22:09
14. 13 - Chapter 6 - continued — 17:02
15. 14 - Chapter 6 - continued — 19:22
16. 15 - Chapter 6 - continued — 17:40
17. 16 - Chapter 6 - continued — 25:06
18. 17 - Chapter 6 - continued — 18:04
19. 18 - Chapter 6 - continued — 9:43
20. 19 - Chapter 6 - continued — 23:27
21. 20 - Chapter 6 - continued — 26:14
22. 21 - Chapter 7 - THE PURITAN AGE (1620-1660) — 46:12
23. 22 - Chapter 7 - continued — 20:16
24. 23 - Chapter 7 - continued — 10:59

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Source and rights

This is a record from LibriVox's official Internet Archive collection, with a public-domain licence recorded in its metadata. LibriVox's policy includes its catalogue summaries as well as its recordings. Its public-domain assessment follows United States law; copyright status can differ elsewhere. The summary and track facts are reproduced and reformatted from that record. Dates attached to the archive upload are not treated as original book publication dates.