Though he was largely overlooked during his own lifetime, British poet John Clare is now recognized by critics as one of the most significant writers of his generation. Unlike most of the other poets who rose to acclaim during the nineteenth century, Clare came from a humble, working-class family and brought a unique sensibility to his work as a result. This collection brings together an array of Clare's poems, some of which were previously unpublished.

American author James Fenimore Cooper achieved widespread literary acclaim with his sweeping epics that often sought to pin down the nascent country's emerging and evolving ethos. In the novel The Chainbearer, which is the second entry in his Littlepage trilogy, Cooper focuses on the displacement of Native American populations that occurred as a result of westward expansion.