The Earthly Paradise by William Morris (Hardcover, Annotated Ed)

A far-sighted Victorian, William Morris was a pioneering socialist, book designer and decorative artist, founder of the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings, and author of intense short lyrics, long poetic narratives, and utopian-socialist prose romances. This annotated critical edition is the first attempt to make Morris's 42,000-word verse sequence accessible to a modern audience. The edition's scholarly apparatus also records the location of extant manuscripts and provides full scholarly collations of changes made in Morris's text during his lifetime.
Extensive reader aids for enhanced comprehension and a wealth of references relating the work to art, history, and politics are two of this book's most important features. In addition, sample illustrations and original initials provide a sense of The Earthly Paradise's original appearance and design.