Essays - Hardcover

Praise for Walden: A Fully Annotated Edition: "A definitive text... With Cramer's notes, readers and re-readers will find the text both deeper and more accessible."-Julie Dunlap, Audubon Naturalist News -- Julie Dunlap "The most authoritative edition of Walden yet to appear, an edition supported by the most extensive and useful annotations ever offered."-Choice -- Choice "Meticulous and often fascinating annotations."-Robert Finch, Los Angeles Times -- Robert Finch "Cramer's side notes are like short, illuminating conversations."-Jacqueline Blais, USA Today -- Jacqueline Blais Praise for The Maine Woods: "Thanks to the detailed glosses Cramer provides, each [new] volume is a vade mecum for the Thoreauvian... They are treasure troves of valuable information."-Robert E. Burkholder, The New England Quarterly -- Robert E. Burkholder Praise for I to Myself:"A richly rewarding, deeply satisfying volume."-Robert D. Richardson, Thoreau Society Bulletin -- Robert D. Richardson "A well-rounded portrait of the writer and his world ... An accessible entry into the thoughts, feelings, and preoccupations of this unique American author."-Library Journal -- Library Journal "[A] well-conceived selection."-John Wilson, Christianity Today -- John Wilson Christianity Today "[An] exceptional collection of the author's most widely-read essays ... superb and comprehensive."-Sharon Britton, Library Journal -- Sharon Britton Library Journal "Wonderfully produced ... In all things this volume finds the perfect balance. It's certainly the finest edition of Thoreau's essays ever publicly printed."-Steve Donoghue, Open Letters -- Steve Donoghue Open Letters Won second place for the 2013 New England Book Festival given by the JM Northern Media Family of Festivals, in the Compilations/Anthologies Category. -- New England Book Festival JM Northern Media "Anyone who reads Thoreau in editions annotated by the great Jeffrey S. Cramer ... will know everything there is to know about Thoreau and (amazingly) have a fun time learning it."-Sarah Payne Stuart, author of Perfectly Miserable: Guilt, God, and Real Estate in a Small Town -- Sarah Payne Stuart

This new selection of Thoreau's essays traces his trajectory as a writer for the outlets of his day-the periodical press, newspapers, and compendiums-and as a frequent presenter on the local lecture circuit. By arranging the writings chronologically, the volume re-creates the experience of Thoreau's readers as they followed his developing ideas over time. Jeffrey S. Cramer, award-winning editor of six previous volumes of works by Thoreau, offers the most accurate text available for each essay and provides convenient on-page annotations. He establishes context and guides the reader through unfamiliar allusions and references, plumbing the depths of Thoreau's writings with unprecedented insight. Among the essays in this book: * The Last Days of John Brown * Resistance to Civil Government [Civil Disobedience] * Thomas Carlyle and His Works * Natural History of Massachusetts * and many more