"Roland Barthes was one of the most influential thinkers of the twentieth century, but why should the reader of today, or tomorrow, be concerned with him? Martin McQuillan provides a fresh perspective on Barthes, addressing his political and institutional inheritance and considering his work as the origin of critical cultural studies. This stimulating study: provides a biographical consideration of Barthes' writing; offers an extended reading of his 1957 text 'Mythologies' as a text for our own time, drawing Barthes' work into a historical relation to the present; examines his connection to what we call cultural studies; features an annotated bibliography of Barthes' published work. Thought-provoking and insightful, 'Roland Barthes' is essential reading for anyone who is interestd in the writings of this key theorist and his continuing relevance in our post-9/11 world"--Publisher's description, p. [4] of cover.