English and History study guides, written by academics at the top of their field

Was Jane Austen's Emma a snob?

What was eating Curley's wife in Of Mice and Men?

Did Stalin have hobbies?

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Bringing Literature to Life

Our books tell you what the most interesting critics have said about great novels, plays and poems, providing an intelligent and informative discussion of the text.

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Helena Bonham Carter on Connell Guides

Great Reads In Their Own Right

Scholarly, yet approachable and entertaining - our history guides provide illuminating discourse on key figures, periods, and historical events.

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    Joanna Lumley, Actress

  • "For years I've struggled to find a way to help students understand set texts and what critics say about them. I genuinely think Connell Guides solve the problem."

    Head of English, Repton School

  • "Exceptionally well written, genuinely illuminating without sacrificing complexity to clarity, and beautifully produced."

    Professor Kiernan Ryan, English Language and Literature, University of London

Guides to the Classics

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