This biography of philosopher, scientist, and writer Sir Francis Bacon (1561—1626), part of the “English Men of Letters” series, is an invaluable resource for students of history. Bacon, a highly influential figure in his era, is considered the father of scientific empiricism, and is also believed by some to have written some of the plays attributed to Shakespeare.

In this absorbing biography of Robert Browning, one of the most important Victorian poets, Chesterton examines the poet from his early life to his early poems. He places an emphasis on how Browning's life informed and influenced his work. Revealing and readable, it is also a prime example of Chesterton's singular approach to biography and literary criticism.

This 1867 biography of the political philosopher who, more than any other, deserves to be known as the father of modern conservatism, is less concerned with the personal affairs of its subject than his relations to the political and historical trends of his time.

This 1880 English Men of Letters volume focuses on the rock star of Romanticism. "Byron's life was passed under the fierce light that beats upon an intellectual throne," writes Nichol. "He succeeded in making himself-what he wished to be-the most notorious personality in the world of letters of our century."

Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834) wrote the famous poems "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" and "Kubla Khan," but he was also an influential philosopher, literary critic, and forerunner of transcendentalism. This 1884 biographical study explores his life and works, divided into Coleridge's "Poetical," "Critical," and "Metaphysical and Theological" periods.

Published in 1881, this volume of the English Men of Letters series was written by a man who had been both friend and editor to Thomas De Quincey. As such, it is an indispensable resource for anyone interested in the life of one of Victorian England's most unusual writers, the author of ‘Confessions of an English Opium-Eater” (1821).

Saintsbury examines the life of John Dryden (1631—1700), England's first Poet Laureate and one of the most important writers of the late seventeenth century. He is best known for his poems, plays, literary essays and translations, including such satirical works as MacFlecknoe. Saintsbury focuses on his literary work, fall from grace, and transformation in the period known as the "Age of Dryden."

This 1878 volume in the English Men of Letters series explores the life of Edward Gibbon, author of “The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire”. According to a contemporary review by Mark Pattison in the Academy, "Future numbers of the series may imitate, they cannot surpass, the present specimen." A splendid perspective on the life of an intriguing man.

Sidney Colvin's biography examines the life and work of English writer and poet Walter Savage Landor (1775—1864). Landor is best remembered for his work “Imaginary Conversations”, which envisions conversations between figures from classical Greece and Rome, poets and authors, statesmen and women, and other individuals.

In this 1879 addition to the English Men of Letters series, Pattison explores the life and work of John Milton, the author of the definitive Paradise Lost. The volume touches on Milton's pamphlets, famous works of poetry, and even his religious beliefs. Pattison judges only Shakespeare to be Milton's superior in the realm of English poetry.