This anthology draws on the full range of English prose, wherever it has been written. It illustrates the growth, development, and resources of the language from the legends of Sir Thomas Malory to the novels of Kazuo Ishiguro. In the process it reveals a variety of achievements which no other language can match. The book represents a diversity of men and women - from John Bunyan to John Updike, from Brendan Behan to Chinua Achebe, from Dorothy Wordsworth to Patrick White. As the centuries progress, American writers increase their presence, and by the 20th century there are contributions from India, Australia, Canada, Nigeria, the Caribbean and many other parts of the world. The selection is also of note for its breadth in terms of subject-matter and treatment. Fiction is represented, but many other kinds of writing have also been drawn on: letters, diaries and memoirs; history and philosophy; criticism and reportage; sermons and satire; travel-books; and reflections on art, science, politics and sport. There are classic and well-loved passages, and also a great deal that is unfamiliar.