Derek. No. It's a case of academics speaking to academics. Before anyone accuses me of inverted academic snobbery, let me hasten to add that I'm talking specifically about those academics who write and speak in such jargon laden terminology that only their colleagues can understand them.

That's why Ashgates are so expensive. The publishers know that they will only sell in extremely limited quantities, mostly only to university libraries.

Les. I certainly hope a copy winds up in Manchester Central library, if for no other reason than that's where MacColl did most of his early reading. However, thanks to the activities of Cameron, Clegg and co., I doubt there's a public library left in the whole of the UK which could even consider spending that sort of money on a single reference book.