R. A. Streatfield
Samuel Butler was regarded as an expert on ancient Greek literature, and several of his translations of texts from the period remain authoritative and continue to be used by scholars and students. This diverse collection brings together a number of essays, sketches, short stories and other pieces that offer a comprehensive introduction to Butler's incisive and engaging style.
Recognized as a top-notch scholar with widely ranging interests and an encyclopedic knowledge of an array of academic disciplines, Samuel Butler contributed meaningfully to late nineteenth-century research in a number of fields. This volume collects some of his most important lectures and essays, a number of which have since been enshrined as important early works in disciplines as diverse as microbiology and the philosophy of language.