This Dictionary explores the identities of fictional people and places in over 1,000 English language novels and short stories. Over 4,000 identifications are included and supported or contested by accompanying extracts.

Fascinating and comprehensive in scope, the Dictionary of Real People and Places in Fiction is a valuable source for both students and teachers of literature, and for those interested in locating the facts behind the fiction they read. In a single, scholarly volume, it provides intriguing insight into the real identity of people and places in the novels of over 300 American and British authors published in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

`Well conceived and entertaining dictionary.' - Times Literary Supplement

`What is impressive is the simplicity and usefulness of the idea and the vast range of reading reflected in the attributions ... Many of those acknowledged for their help are themselves notable authors and academics. The book is well-produced, clearly printed and easy to use. It is a splendid reference tool which will be very useful to readers of British and American fiction.' - Reference Reviews

`This is research massive and meticulous, and very easy to use. The book is so well written, and with so much quick wit, that it is a `good read', an education, and a mine of references.' - Review of English Studies