Anne Clifford's Great Books of Record

In her Great Books of Record Anne Clifford places herself within the dynamic history of the ancient Clifford family, providing an unbroken view into medieval and early modern life for nearly six centuries. In this annotated edition, we glimpse the lives of simple widows, traders, farmers, and labourers juxtaposed with the adventures of soldiers, lords and ladies, princes and princesses. Throughout, Anne Clifford asserts the centrality of women to the success of noble families, including the monarchy. Her Great Books draws upon medieval traditions and early modern scholarship and builds upon these through biographies of the Clifford lords and ladies, along with an extended biography of her mother Margaret Russell and her own autobiographical 'Life of Mee'. Those interested in the lives of medieval and early modern women, changes in culture, the effect of the political upon individuals, and the inspiring life of Anne Clifford will find this a rich and rewarding book. -- .

“The earliest document in the Great Boks dates from 1088 and after Anne Clifford's death her descendants added material until the 1730's. "So you can see the way that culture, history, practices and relationships developed over 600 years," said Prof Malay. "The Great Books reflect the lives of peasants, merchants and labourers as well as monarchs and the aristocracy."”

'Malay's edition of the Great Books is a stupendous achievement of scholarship honouring Lady Anne Clifford's own endeavours. Firmly bound in hardback, an important practical consideration with a text that will be frequently consulted, this edition should certainly stimulate more research about her as well as increase general understanding of the times in which she lived and the infinite variety of life writing.'
Jill Burton, University of South Australia, Life Writing, May 2016

‘Malay has done a heroic job as the sole editor of a project that in many ways can be compared to the kinds of editorial projects normally overseen by a team of editors. The three sets of Great Books offer a daunting prospect for an editor, because not only is the material varied and complex, each set is distinctive with a wide variety of annotations, many but not all by Clifford herself. Malay has made a sensible series of editorial decisions… Manchester University Press deserves praise for publishing it.’
Paul Salzman, La Trobe University, Early Modern Women: An Interdisciplinary Journal Vol 11.2

Jessica L. Malay is Professor of Early Modern Literature at the University of Huddersfield

In her Great Books of Record Anne Clifford places herself within the dynamic history of the ancient Clifford family, providing an unbroken view into medieval and early modern life for nearly six centuries. In this annotated edition, we glimpse the lives of simple widows, traders, farmers, and labourers juxtaposed with the adventures of soldiers, lords and ladies, princes and princesses. Throughout, Anne Clifford asserts the centrality of women to the success of noble families, including the monarchy. Her Great Books draws upon medieval traditions and early modern scholarship and builds upon these through biographies of the Clifford lords and ladies, along with an extended biography of her mother Margaret Russell and her own autobiographical 'Life of Mee'. Those interested in the lives of medieval and early modern women, changes in culture, the effect of the political upon individuals, and the inspiring life of Anne Clifford will find this a rich and rewarding book.

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