Oxford Painted & Described

by Edward Thomas, John Fulleylove (Artist)

In the early 20th century, Edward Thomas (1878-1917) was commissioned to write a history of Oxford to accompany the paintings of John Fulleylove (1845-1908). Oxford was published in 1903 but rather than accompanying the illustrations it was a masterpiece that aided Thomas' reputation as the quintessential English writer. The work is reprinted here along with eleven of Fulleylove's illustrations. The lengthy introduction by Lucy Newlyn places Oxford within the story of Thomas' life and other works, analysing his prose style and how this was developed in later pieces. Newlyn also discusses how Thomas' experiences as an undergraduate in Oxford are revealed in the piece, and how he portrayed a picture of Oxford that is personal and familiar, evocative and nostalgic of the pre-war city's architecture, history and customs.

227 pages, Paperback

First published September 27, 1903

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Philip Edward Thomas was an Anglo-Welsh writer of prose and poetry. He is commonly considered a war poet, although few of his poems deal directly with his war experiences. Already an accomplished writer, Thomas turned to poetry only in 1914. He enlisted in the army in 1915, and was killed in action during the Battle of Arras in 1917, soon after he arrived in France.

His Works:

Poetry collections:

Six Poems, under pseudonym Edward Eastaway, Pear Tree Press, 1916.
Poems, Holt, 1917.
Last Poems, Selwyn & Blount, 1918.
Collected Poems, Selwyn & Blount, 1920.
Two Poems, Ingpen & Grant, 1927.
The Poems of Edward Thomas, R. George Thomas (ed), Oxford University Press, 1978
Poemoj (Esperanto translation), Kris Long (ed & pub), Burleigh Print, Bracknell, Berks, 1979.
Edward Thomas: A Mirror of England, Elaine Wilson (ed), Paul & Co., 1985.
The Poems of Edward Thomas, Peter Sacks (ed), Handsel Books, 2003.
The Annotated Collected Poems, Edna Longley (ed), Bloodaxe Books, 2008.

Fiction:

The Happy-Go-Lucky Morgans (novel), 1913

Essay collections:

Horae Solitariae, Dutton, 1902.
Oxford, A & C Black, 1903.
Beautiful Wales, Black, 1905.
The Heart of England, Dutton, 1906.
The South Country, Dutton, 1906 (reissued by Tuttle, 1993).
Rest and Unrest, Dutton, 1910.
Light and Twilight, Duckworth, 1911.
The Last Sheaf, Cape, 1928.