The Cambridge Companion to Samuel Johnson

• List of illustrations; Notes on contributors; Chronology; List of short titles and abbreviations; Introduction Greg Clingham; 1. Extraordinarily ordinary: the life of Samuel Johnson Philip Davis; 2. Johnson and the arts of conversation Catherine N. Parke; 3. Johnson's poetry Howard D. Weinbrot; 4. Johnson, the essay and The Rambler Paul J. Korshin; 5. Johnson and the condition of women Eithne Henson; 6. Johnson's dictionary Robert De Maria Jr; 7. Johnson's politics Robert Folkenflik; 8. Johnson and imperialism Clement Hawes; 9. The skepticism of Johnson's Rasselas Fred Parker; 10. Shakespeare: Johnson's poet of nature Philip Smallwood; 11. Life and literature in Johnson's Lives of the Poets Greg Clingham; 12. Johnson's Christian thought Michael Suarez, S. J. ; 13. 'From China to Peru': Johnson in the traveled world John Wiltshire; 14. 'Letters about Nothing': Johnson and epistolary writing Tom Keymer; 15. Johnson's critical reception Steven Lynn; Further reading; Index.

'The Cambridge Companion to Samuel Johnson is not only an outstanding critical introduction to 'The Great Cham of Literature', it provides relevant background to the world in which he lived. There are notes appended to chapters and portraits and other illustrations, notably by Hogarth.' Library Association Record