Jane Austen, by Elizabeth Jenkins (London: Victor Gollancz, 1938): Out of print, but worth seeking out in a used-book shop or on the Internet for the lovely, lyrical writing; an excellent first Austen biography.
*Jane Austen: A Family Record, by William Austen-Leigh, Richard Arthur Austen-Leigh, and Deirdre Le Faye (Boston: G. K. Hall, 1989): The single most useful book in the Jane Austen library.
Jane Austen: A Life, by Claire Tomalin (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1997): A well-written, readable biography.
Jane Austen: Her Life, by Park Honan (New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1987): An insightful and informative work.
*Jane Austen, the Parson’s Daughter, by Irene Collins (London: Hambledon Press, 1998): An examination of Jane Austen’s life in Steventon and the effect it had on her growth as an author.
Jane Austen: The Woman, by George Holbert Tucker (New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1994): A collection of essays about various aspects of Jane Austen’s life.
*A History of Jane Austen’s Family, by George Holbert Tucker (Gloucestershire: Sutton Publishing, 1998): An excellent overview of Jane’s parents, siblings, and ancestors that gives context to her life and work.
*Jane Austen Fashion, by Penelope Byrd (Ludlow, UK: Excellent Press, 1999).
*Jane Austen and the Clergy, by Irene Collins (London: Hambledon Press, 1994).
*A Jane Austen Household Book, by Peggy Hickman (North Pomfret, Vermont: David & Charles, 1977).
A Fine Brush on Ivory, by Richard Jenkyns (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004).
*Jane Austen’s World, by Maggie Lane (London: Carlton Books, 1996).
*Jane Austen: The World of Her Novels, by Deirdre Le Faye (London: Frances Lincoln, 2002).
*Jane Austen’s Letters, Third Edition, edited by Deirdre Le Faye (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1995).
*Card Games, by John McLeod (www.pagat.com).
*David Parlett (Games Etc.), by David Parlett (www.davidparlett.co.uk).
Jane Austen and the Navy, by Brian Southam (London: Hambledon and London, 2000).
*Jane Austen In Style, by Susan Watkins (London and New York: Thames and Hudson, 1990).
*Works marked with an asterisk were consulted by the author in the writing of this book.