The Best Laid Schemes: Selected Poetry and Prose of Robert Burns

"[Robert] Crawford and Christopher MacLachlan have opportunely put together by far the most appealing and important selection of Burns's writing that has appeared to date. The Best Laid Schemes includes not only all the great poems, but also excerpts from letters and other prose writings that illuminate the poet's personality and art. The textual editing is meticulous, Crawford contributes a richly informative introduction, and marginal glosses elucidate any linguistic difficulties. It is beautifully produced, with an unpretentious elegance that Burns would have approved."—John Carey, New York Review of Books

"The Best Laid Schemes . . . is a collection of poetry and prose from Burns's pen that gives the reader far more than the fare to be found in the usual anthology. As well as perennial favourites, there are interesting rediscovered poems that have been ignored or missed by earlier editors. This is an attractively presented collection with a beautifully written introduction to the life and work of the poet. . . . [The editors] have done a great deal to reveal again the charm and complexity of one of the world's greatest ever poets of love."—Alexander McCall Smith, Telegraph

"This is an excellent, comprehensive, and authoritative selection of the writings of one of the world's major poets, and it is likely to become the standard edition for general readers and students."—Ian Duncan, University of California, Berkeley