German Literature of the Early Middle Ages. Edited by Brian Murdoch. The Camden House History of German Literature, 2. Rochester, NY: Camden House, 2004. Pp. xii + 283; 7 illustrations. $85.

Volume 2 of The Camden House History of German Literature is appropriately situated between studies on Early Germanic Literature and Culture (Vol. 1, coedited by Brian Murdoch) and on German Literature of the High Middle Ages (Vol. 3). By defining the period (see the editor's "Introduction," especially pp. 1–23) between the years 750 and 1100, Murdoch essentially covers the Old High German (hereafter OHG) era. Given the circumstances of literacy at the time, the volume's two chapters on the Latin literature of the period (on which more is provided below) are most welcome. Thus, the title "German Literature" is aptly worded and is not to be confused with literature (only) in German. Nine chapters of varying length (plus a bibliography, pp. 247–71) follow Murdoch's insightful, lucid "Introduction" (pp. 1–32).

Albrecht Classen
University of Arizona