In spite of its richness and long history, Slovak literature is one of the least-known Slavic literatures in the English-speaking world. Few translations of Slovak works exist and until now there has been no systematic English-language history of the field. A History of Slovak Literature provides an excellent introduction to this important but overlooked body of writing.

Starting with the Great Moravian period, Peter Petro surveys one thousand years of Slovak literature. He examines the medieval, Renaissance, baroque, classical, romantic, realist, and modern periods and highlights the contributions of such writers as Hronský, Hviezdoslav, Kollár, Kukucín, Nedozerský, Papánek, Rúfus, Safárik, Tatarka, Tranovský, Vajanský, and Záborský.

Like Czech, Polish, and Ukrainian writing, Slovak literature transcended the merely literary to become an influential political and cultural tool: Slovak writers and poets played an important role in promoting and protecting the culture and language of their people against invading cultures. A History of Slovak Literature will be a welcome addition to the field of Slavic studies.