This lively and informative guide is ideal for students of English literature in their final year of secondary education or those beginning degrees, and successfully bridges the gap between the two. Doing English deals with the exciting new ideas and contentious debates that make up English today, covering a broad range of issues from the history of literary studies and the canon to Shakespeare, politics and the future of English. In his lucid and engaging style, Robert Eaglestone's highly successful book aims to: orientate you, by explaining what you are doing when you 'do English' equip you for future study, by introducing current ideas literature, context and interpretation enable you to bridge the gap between 'traditional' and 'theoretical' approaches to literature, showing why English has had to change over the years and what those changes mean for you.

This third edition has been up-dated throughout and includes new sections on Shakespeare and film adaptations, the idea of 'disciplinary consciousness', the way the subject has adapted to events such as 9/11 and 7/7 and a new chapter on Creative and Critical Rewriting. Robert Eaglestone's refreshingly clear explanations and advice make this volume essential reading for all those planning to 'do English' at advanced or degree level.