Within the sphere of the novel, poetry and the play, Oliver Goldsith (1728-1774) produced something that has given lasting pleasure to mankind. The Vicar of Wakefield; The Deserted Village, She Stoops to Conquer – these are as fresh and delightful today as the day they were written. How much more there is to Goldsmith’s life and work is assessed in this perceptive, scholarly study by the Professor of Literature at Leeds University.