Introduction to Old English by Peter S. Baker (review)

REVIEWS 229 spite its expansive scope—will prove an indispensable resource for scholars of Petrarchism and the French Renaissance lyric for decades to come. ROBERT J. HUDSON, French and Francophone Studies, UCLA Peter S. Baker, Introduction to Old English, 2nd ed. (Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishers 2007) 388 pp. Peter Baker is well known in the field of medieval studies for having created the first highly-effective online tutorial for teaching Old English. Seeing that everything from journalism to feature films is now moving unabatedly towards the internet, it goes without saying that Baker was a bit ahead of his time. His efforts have provided students with the resources needed to pick up Old English quickly and thoroughly. Despite the fact that, as Baker claims, his Old English Aerobics website “has aged poorly,” these online tools continue to be a useful supplement. I do hope that either Baker or another internet-savvy AngloSaxonist follows in Baker’s footsteps and continues the development of a thorough web-based tool for the instruction of Old English. That said, even though the second edition of Baker’s Introduction to Old English leaves out its references to the online exercises, the new edition is a solid tool that both an independent student and a classroom full of students will find useful. The book’s approach is balanced. It includes just the right amount of explanatory text on the history and nuances of the language while also offering Wheelock-esque grammar tools and exercises. More important, the selection of readings is varied and exemplary. Baker makes three main changes in the second edition. According to his preface, Baker has revised some of the grammar explanations, modified the method for glossing words with multiple definitions, and most importantly added four new Old English texts to the anthology. Those texts include: Ælfric’s homily on the Book of Job from the Second Series of Catholic Homilies; the obituary of William the Conqueror from the Peterborough Chronicle, anno 1087; the voyages of Ohthere and Wulfstan from the Old English Orosius; and The Battle of Maldon. These additions fill in the book from two sides of the spectrum of Old English texts. On the one hand, The Battle of Maldon has historically been a key text in the instruction of the language . Of the five most-predominantly-used Old English textbooks (Sweet, Bright, Mitchell & Robinson, Baker, and Marsden), Baker’s first edition is the only one to exclude The Battle of Maldon from its anthology. On the other hand, the story of Ohthere and Wulfstan, while being a great example of easy-to-follow Old English, has not been used since Sweet and Bright’s textbooks were published. I am glad that Baker includes this text from the Old English Orosius because it is a text that students will find to be both interesting and encouraging, prompting them to dig deeper into more difficult texts. Along this line, it is clear that much thought was put into the choice, quantity, and order of the other texts in the anthology. Moreover, each text is set up with a thoughtful, but brief introduction. In addition to devoting an entire chapter to paleography, Baker uses these introductions to discuss, among other things, the manuscript and editorial history of the texts. He not only cites the other manuscript versions, but also compares his version and editorial choices to those of previous editors. This is important for an introductory text like Baker’s since a student might REVIEWS 230 find the inconsistencies frustrating if left unexplained and exciting if pointed out as one of the aspects of Old English that makes the language so interesting. Of course, the least interesting part of learning Old English is memorizing the paradigms! Although paradigm memorization is not forced upon students of Old English as much as it is upon, say, students of Greek or Latin, it is and ought to be an important component of the instruction. On this level, Baker falls slightly short. His paradigm charts are difficult to read and thus difficult to memorize. In this case, a simple visual system of delineation would have made a significant difference. However, perhaps this austere style will force...