Spanning the period from the British Civil War to the French Revolution, the fourth edition of this successful anthology brings together an exceptional range of literature, including many works by women writers of the period, selections of literature from private and public life, and sources from letters to political ballads. Maintaining the volume's enduring commitment to what were once referred to as 'marginal' authors, the new edition also strengthens its coverage of canonical writings of the period, adding works by John Dryden, Alexander Pope, and Samuel Johnson.

The fourth edition has been significantly updated throughout, with revised introductions taking recent critical works and editions into account. In addition to expanding canonical writings, the anthology now contains four full plays, with Aphra Behn's The Rover and John Gay's Beggar's Opera having been added to this edition. There is also coverage of the development of British literature in the American colonies through the inclusion of a selection from Samson Occom and the Declaration of Independence. These works continue the anthology's original commitment to viewing the literary works of the period within their cultural context. Valuable student resources include a chronology of literary as well as political events to help guide readers with the broad and deep selection of works from this period.