In this compelling first volume in the Blackwell Introductions to Literature series, Roy Flannagan, editor of The Milton Quarterly, provides a readable and uncluttered critical account of a complicated and sophisticated author, and his poetry and prose. * Puts John Milton under the microscope, using the still--evolving critical perspectives of the last fifty years* Looks at Milton's life, and the cultural background to his work, as well as examining his writing* Considers how and why Milton's work has endured the centuries to educate, entertain and intrigue so many generations of readers* Ideal for the reader falling in love with Milton's poetry and prose, who longs to know more about what people think about the poetry, the man or the historical context