New Releases by James Thorpe

A legendary book collector, a connoisseur of fine art, a horticulturist, and a philanthropist, Henry Edwards Huntington is perhaps best known as the founder of the world-renowned Huntington Library, Art Gallery, and Botanical Gardens in San Marino, California. James Thorpe's comprehensive biography of Huntington tells the richly human story of the man who became America's greatest book collector and was a leading figure in the development of southern California. Henry Edwards Huntington was born in New York State in 1850. He began working at the age of 17, eventually moved to California, and in later years was hailed for his vision in developing the street railway system that created the structure of the Los Angeles area. Always a lover of books, Huntington acquired many spectacular volumes—among them the complete Gutenberg Bible on vellum and the library of the Earl of Bridgewater. He also built a splendid art collection and established a grand botanical garden on the grounds of the buildings that would house his art and books. Then, in an act of philanthropy seldom equaled, he gave these great treasures to the public. The intimate side of Huntington's life appears in these pages, too. Thorpe has culled a vast trove of private letters, diaries, and other documents that reveal Huntington's exceptional personal qualities. The author's well-rounded biography of this unassuming yet gifted American is also richly evocative of the times in which Henry Edwards Huntington lived.

"What was John Milton really like as a human being? What can we learn about his poems from seeing them in the context of the fundamental nature of their author? There is an intimate and complex relation between a close understanding of a poem and a deep understanding of its maker. This book explores that relation with respect to the writings and the nature of Milton. The "inner life" of this book is that mysterious world of motives, drives, and action that takes place within. It is where we establish and come to terms with our values, with our drives, and with our sense of self-esteem. It is where we mediate with the world outside of our selves, with the world of other human beings, and with the world of nature. It is where we face our most important crises and where we seek our ultimate guidance in resolving our crucial problems. These are the topics of this book. It offers a fresh and original way of thinking about Milton and his writings."--Book jacket.

Charming self-portrait covers boyhood, work as a printer, political career, scientific experiments, much more. Its openness, honesty, and readable style have made the "Autobiography" one of the great classics of the genre.

This book is the first comprehensive study of the basic principles that govern the editing of literary texts. The focus is on English and American literature, and discussion is illuminated by a multitude of examples from the Renaissance to the present time. It deals with the topics that are essential to all editorial work and conveys attitudes and approaches that should animate all literary scholarship.