John Milton: An Annotated Bibliography, 1968-1988.

Calvin Huckabay. John Milton: An Annotated Bibliography, 1968-1988. Ed. Paul J. Klemp. Pittsburgh: Duquesne University Press, 1996. xxiv + 535 pp. $100. ISBN: 0-8207-0272-2.

John Milton has been more widely read - and certainly more widely studied - in recent decades than at any other point in history, and this new book (a sequel to Huckabay's bibliography covering 1929-1968) makes a wealth of ideas instantly and easily accessible. Already a third volume is being prepared, and the usefulness of such books is likely to increase as the sheer quantity of scholarship continues to grow. Electronic bibliographies are, of course, likely to become significantly more important in future years, but there will probably always be a need (especially in smaller libraries) for works like this. Certainly the present book has much to recommend it.

Huckabay attempts to offer comprehensive coverage of the scholarship produced during the years he covers, and though he notes that some work from non-English-speaking countries was unavailable, he has done an impressive job in tracking down much that was. His annotations (wisely) are descriptive rather than evaluative, and his preface not only briefly mentions recent trends but also specifies future needs. The book's double-columned format, legible print, and sensible use of bold-faced type help make it efficient and accessible, and one can easily imagine how certain sections might be assigned to students seeking (or needing) a comprehensive overview of recent work.

The general topics covered include: Bibliography and Reference Works; Biographies; Editions; Translations; General Criticism and Miscellaneous Items; Criticism of Individual Works; Style and Versification; Criticism of Editions, Translations, and Illustrations; and Milton's Fame and Influence. An index of proper names makes it easy to find references not only to various modern critics but also to figures whom Milton influenced or by whom he was affected. Moreover, Milton's works themselves are indexed, so that (for instance) a reference to Comus anywhere in the book can quickly be traced. An especially interesting feature is the inclusion of lists of book reviews; although these lists are not likely to be of great use to general readers or students, they will surely prove helpful to advanced scholars.

In keeping with a reviewer's standard obligation to look any gift horse in the mouth, one might suggest a few ways to make the third installment in this series even more helpful than the first two. The key, of course, is to save space. Tightening in some ways would make it possible to increase the length of the brief annotations and would also make it possible to include a comprehensive topical index. One way to tighten would be to eliminate unneeded information; in entry 3093, for example, the whole first sentence could be cut without sacrificing anything of importance, and the same is true of the first half of entry 72. Moreover, such entries as 675 and 1062 could be radically tightened if relevant entry numbers were substituted for titles, and much space could be gained simply by using initials rather than full first names (especially for reviewers, but perhaps also for references to Milton's works and to Milton himself). It might also be wise to list, when citing books, only places of publication (except in the case of small or obscure publishers): surely the Internet will soon make most basic bibliographical information easily accessible to readers just about everywhere. Finally, merely dropping verbs (such as "asserts," "claims," "lists," etc.) can often save whole lines of type - lines that quickly add up.

The space saved by these measures could then be devoted to preparing an extensive topical index - a feature that would make the next volume even more permanently useful than its predecessors. Or perhaps a separate volume could be published listing topics (and relevant entry numbers) cited in the first three volumes. Publication of all three volumes on one CD-ROM would obviously be another solution.

With these books, Professor Huckabay has made a major contribution to Milton scholarship, and in offering these suggestions I hope only to ensure that his contribution endures. Clearly we are all in his debt, and no amount of niggling can obscure that basic fact.

ROBERT C. EVANS Auburn University, Montgomery