The Oxford Handbook of John Donne. Edited by Jeanne Shami, Dennis Flynn, and M. Thomas Hester. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011. ISBN 9780199218608. Pp. xxxv+ 845. $150.00. The OED defines handbook as small book or treatise, such as may conveniently be held in hand; manual; also as a compendious book or treatise for guidance in any art, occupation, or study. With 845 pages and weighing about three pounds, this book just squeaks in to such definition. On whole, this is fine, reliable guide to Donne scholarship, dealing with entire range of author's writings. It consists of more than fifty essays by scholars at forefront of Donne studies. Because of varied nature of Donne's writings, editors have given half book (365 pages) to approaches by genre; another 296 pages are for historical and biographical backgrounds. But before those major parts, there is one on research resources, dealing first of all with production, dissemination, and early readership of Donne's writings. As more than 4,000 or parts survive in manuscript, Gary Stringer raises questions about just what Donne published and what he did not, and why. He also points to evidence that Donne significantly revised (22-23). Ernest Sullivan interestingly lists great diversity of known readers of Donne in his own century and next (33). Lara Crowley provides practical chapter on archival resources, giving fascinating example of Jeanne Shami's discovery of Donne Sermon manuscript (36, 38). There follow chapters on editing and editions of Donne, including chapter by Richard Todd that explains what Donne is accomplishing. Its aim is to recover and present exactly what Donne wrote (57) as far as possible. Todd also reports that complementary tools, including first-line indexes of seventeenth-century editions and major manuscripts, are available on project's website (59). With more than half of Donne's corpus still to go, Todd claims has reinvented editing of Donne's poetry; but Dayton Haskin cautions that the textual work of Variorum should be viewed less as an iconic monument than as critical (63). his chapter on modern editions of Donne's prose, Ernest Sullivan explains attempt to identify every manuscript and print version of text that could have been influenced by author (65). He evaluates modern editions, and points out that new Oxford editions are in works for prose letters (79) and sermons (70). latter, sermons will be arranged by place of preaching instead of chronological grouping, which I suggest could bring losses as well as gains. Donald Dickson calls attention to research tools and their pitfalls, reminding that no tool can replace careful study of Donne's writings (81). Dickson lists Donne Variorum, Digital Donne, number of bibliographies and concordances, electronic archive of sermons based on Potter and Simpson, and some (other) handbooks. Hugh Adlington commends work of scholarly community, noting that there have been since 1978 hundred or more scholarly publications on Donne annually, including work in John Donne Journal (sponsored by John Donne Society) and many others. Part 2 of book, on genres, begins with noting ways generic approach raises good questions about writings. Thomas Hester suggests that epigrams, Donne's earliest poems are instructive examples of his poetic achievement (104). Gregory Kneidel's chapter on formal verse satire deals well with classical and Renaissance patterns, beyond which Donne went in Satire 3, Of Religion. On elegies, R. V. Young finds that Donne exemplifies essence of humanist imitation, which is always an aspiration to emulate and even surpass, rather than merely to copy (142). He also insightfully suggests that, In addition to his sheer poetic talent, Donne also possessed perspective uniquely suited for undertaking because he was both an insider and an outsider with respect to society and cultural milieu that his represent (145). …