Bowden, Edwin T., Washington Irving: Bibliography, Boston: Twayne, 1989.

Volume 30 in The Complete Works of Washington Irving, this is the most complete and up-to-date bibliography available.

Hedges, William L., Washington Irving: An American Study, 1802-1832, Johns Hopkins University Press, 1965.

Hedges emphasizes Irving's early work, including "Rip Van Winkle," which he reads as a tragi-comic story about the fear of marriage. Ironically, Hedges argues that Irving's most significant works are these pieces written while he was living in Europe.

Wagenknecht, Edward, Washington Irving: Moderation Displayed, Oxford University Press, 1962.

This is a brief and easy-to-read biography and analysis of the major works and is an important tool for understanding Irving's importance during his own lifetime.

Wells, Robert V., "While Rip Napped: Social Change in Late Eighteenth-Century New York," in New York History, Vol. 70, January 1990, pp. 5-23.

Wells, a literary historian, describes the demographic, family, and social changes that took...