The Editor's Introduction: The Five Foot Shelf of Classics Vol. L (in 51 Volumes): 50

Originally published between 1909 and 1917 under the name Harvard Classics this stupendous 51-volume set-a collection of the greatest writings from literature philosophy history and mythology-was assembled by American academic CHARLES WILLIAM ELIOT (1834-1926) Harvard Universitys longest-serving president. Also known as Dr. Eliots Five Foot Shelf it represented Eliots belief that a basic liberal education could be gleaned by reading from an anthology of works that could fit on five feet of bookshelf. Volume L features Eliots introduction a readers guide and the complete indexes for the entire collection: an index to the first lines of every piece of verse a general index and a chronological index.