The Poet Auden

by A. L. Rowse

Published 29 March 2022

First published in 1987, The Poet Auden is a personal memoir by A.L. Rowse, who knew Auden from the time he was an undergraduate at Oxford and kept some touch with him all his life until his final return to Oxford. From those early days he had no doubt of Auden's genius, and from his own long periods in America he has been able to place the poet's life and work in the double, perhaps twin, perspective of England and the United States. How far did this dichotomy enrich or disadvantage Auden's work? There are two opinions on this open, much discussed, question. Rowse makes a new contribution to the discussion. There are well known difficulties in both Auden's life and writing, Rowse views these with sympathy and understanding close to the man and seeks to place his work in the perspective of the age in which Auden was a symptomatic and representative figure, along with his idiomatic originality.This book will be of interest to scholars and researchers of English literature and poetry.


On History

by A. L. Rowse

Published 19 March 2022

First published in 1927, On History offers an overview of the ternds in historical thought in the earlier part of the twentieth century. Rowse starts with an analogy between historical and political thought and discusses the style and method of history writing. He argues that the chief value of the conception of history is in that it provides a principle proper to the age for its summary of the past and in the light of which we may survey the whole of the social process and not only the surface with occasional excursion into the depths. This book will be of interest to students and researchers of history.


First published in 1935, Queen Elizabeth and Her Subjects presents a comprehensive history of the Elizabethan Age. Most of the sketches in the book were with exception of the last, originally delivered as talks for the B.B.C. The main bulk of the book, Chapters II-IX, consists of the series on "Queen Elizabeth's Subjects" delivered in spring of 1934; of which Chapter III, V, VII and IX are by G, B. Harrison and the rest are by A.L. Rowse. It brings topics such as William Cecil and Lord Burghley; women of the Queen's court; Cardinal Allen; three Elizabethan actors: Alleyn, Richard Burbage and Will Kemp and The Elizabethan Age. This book is a must read for students and scholars of British history.