Doubling as a concise history and as a catalogue of approximately 50 texts that exhibit the state of the English language in each of its five periods, this compendium includes such texts as the Vespasian Psalter gloss, Caedmon, Aelfric's cosmology, the Peterborough Chronicle, the Ancrene Wisse, Skelton's translation of the Bibliotheca Historia of Deodorus Siculus, letters of Queen Elizabeth, excerpts from Paradise Lost , and from works by Emily Brontd, Darwin and D. H. Lawrence. Besides making various smaller improvements to this edition, Burnley (English and linguistics, U. of Sheffield) has added a fascinating appendix on advertising, beginning with Wm. Caxton's advertisement of a book he printed, The Pyes of Salisbury , the ad promising the product for a good price. Burney's sourcebook serves as a quick reference guide and an excellent second text for a History of the English Language course. Its only obvious weakness is too few photos of original manuscripts. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)