This book presents a selection of the writings of Sir Walter Wilson Greg
(1875-1959), one of the leading bibliographers of the twentieth century
and, along with R.B. McKerrow and A.W. Pollard, the founder of the New
Bibliography that dominated twentieth-century textual studies. The
articles and chapters included here begin with Greg's first major
bibliographic triumph in 1908, when he elucidated the mystery of a
collection of early seventeenth-century Shakespearean quartos. Applying
the techniques of the New Bibliography, Greg revealed these texts to be
the first attempt at a collected edition of Shakespeare, by a printer
who lacked the authority to issue such an edition. Other selections
trace Greg's contributions to bibliography and textual criticism
throughout his half-century of work. Many of these selections are drawn
from books now out of print. Rosenblum makes accessible these important
but hard-to-find pieces. Taken together, these pieces illustrate not
only Greg's monumental contributions, but also the approach to texts
characteristic of twentieth-century bibliographers. The introductory
essays trace Greg's life and accomplishments. The volume also includes a
comprehensive bibliography of Greg's own writings. Students of the
history of the book, of Shakespeare, of bibliography, and of library
science will find this a valuable resource.