At long last a new, readable history of German literature. Each epoch of German literature is treated against its historical and sociological backdrop by experts in the literature of that period. Vivian's Concise History of German Literature to 1900 provides a much-needed reference work that is clear, incisive, and based on the most recent research here and abroad. It is written in a way intended to appeal to the general reader, the student (both graduate and undergraduate), and to the German major. Even specialists in German literature will find tidbits of information, connections, and judgments that place aspects of German literary history in a new, informative light.