The titles in this series give an introduction to a variety of writers in the English language aiming to help students understand the context in which the works were written and to provide some guidance towards a critical understanding of the major texts of the writers concerned. These works are intended for GCSE English level. This study focuses on Thomas Hardy's works, placing them against the background of his life and the changing times in which he lived. The book opens with an examination of Hardy's life and his rise to literary fame. It analyzes the themes and preoccupations of his novels and poetry and examines his technique and style. In the final section, different elements of Hardy's writing are drawn together in a discussion of Under the Greenwood Tree, The Mayor of Casterbridge and Far From the Madding Crowd.